Be My Villaintine
by Dreamy Loner
Summary: A sequel to Saving The Villain. Determined to separate Splendid and Lifty, Splendont enslaves his former lover and current nemesis, Shifty, to force him into a sinister cooperation. As the two conspire against their twins, their old memories come back to haunt them, unleashing their own twisted, rotten relationship. Yaoi/Slash/Violence. Splendont x Shifty.
1. Burning Rage

***A/N* Well, this is a squeal I came up with. It is based slightly on the original tale****_ Saving The Villain_**** but it shifts the main focus to this whole new couple Splendont x Shifty. Yea, I don't know why I would even think of shipping these two. I'm surprised nobody has written about this crack pairing. I figured if their twins are dating, maybe they are attracted to each other in pretty much the same way. Only this time, the story will go more intriguing and violent than expected, I suppose.**

**Here are some little backgrounds of the characters. Their age? More or less the same as in the first tale.**

**Splendont- 2o/17(In flashbacks)**

**Shifty- 18/15 (In flashbacks)**

**And their personality? Seriously, in the show, what I see Lifty and Shifty do all the time is stealing and running into trouble. As for Splendid, he's pretty much a dumb hero. Splendont carries just as much pride as his alter ego. So, I'll shape Splendont as a short-tempered, possessive boy and Shifty a stern, cranky guy.**

**Oh, and must I say, in contrast to their effeminate twins, I make Shifty and Splendont really violent (or sadistic?) in nature which actually makes them quite compatible. But again, the redhead has superpowers so he's far stronger than the thief. Ayayay, they have some real, twisted trouble here.**

***Disclaimer* I do not own the characters. All the characters, along with the show Happy Tree Friends belong to Mondo Media.**

***Warning* This story contains a real crack boyxboy pairing. There will be slash, bromance, implied yaoi, shonen-ai, violence, swearing etc.**

**Well, let it begin xD We'll see where this story leads us xD Read, enjoy & review.**

* * *

A silhouette loomed up out of the mist, revealing an ashen face which nearly sparkled under the light. The redhead accelerated upper into the azure sky, his eyes roaming over the land below. He squeezed through the clouds and sped up, exceeding his usual pace. A whirl of wind attacked his face, whistling into his ears. His braced lips broke into a crooked grin as soon as he spotted a particular figure underneath him. The male smirked and swooped down at full speed, targetting this bluenette strolling on the street.

The blue-haired teen's ears twitched, catching even the tiniest sound in his surroundings. Reflexively, he perked up, meeting those eager ruby orbs that pierced his soul. With one strike, the redhead shoved his twin brother across the street, whacking him with his incredible strength. The blue hero got flung backwards, hitting a concrete wall with immense force. At once, the building crumbled down, burying the slightly injured bluenette.

A triumphant smile crawled over Splendont's face as he admired the result of his unexpected attack. Within seconds, his twin, Splendid lifted up a gigantic piece of debris and tossed it to the ground with an earsplitting thump. He glared at Splendont, gritting his teeth in fury.

"Yo, lovely day, bro." Splendont tittered, waving at his twin. He was still floating above the ground, looking as leisure as possible.

"Screw you, Splendont." Splendid cussed, scanning over the mess around him. "Did you really have to do that? You've killed enough lives."

"Meh, fooling around with my brother is fun." Splendont replied, shrugging. "I don't care about those stupid innocents. You're my ultimate target."

"Ugh." Splendid rolled his eyes and began to walk off. His amazingly calm reaction startled Splendont. The redhead had thought his twin would be retaliating and charging at him by now. After all, it was what he had come for, to initiate a duel between them. When he came to think of it, Splendid seemed to have lost complete interest in battling with him recently. Every time he attempted to challenge him, he would simply snub him like he didn't even exist. Splendont wondered what was going on in his brother's mind. He was acting…odd and out of his original character.

"Hey!" Splendont roared. "STOP!"

Splendid ignored him and continued ambling down the street. The short-tempered male was steamed when he knew he was being zoned out. He flew towards the bluenette and clutched his elbows. Splendid merely stopped and stared at his brother, frowning.

"I said, STOP!" Splendont howled, incensed.

"What the fuck do you want?" Splendid sighed. "If it's not an emergency, don't bother me."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Splendont interrogated, giving Splendid a small punch on his shoulder. Splendid staggered backwards and hugged his broken arm. Still, he didn't strike back. "Go on, charge at me."

"Knock it off." Splendid said, shaking off his brother's hands. "I'm not fighting with you. Not at the very moment."

"You!" Splendont didn't give in. He gripped Splendid's collar, shaking him vigorously. "WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON?! I want you to fight with me. NOW!"

"Stop being such a baby!" Splendid finally kicked Splendont off. The red-haired boy tumbled backwards, almost collapsing to the floor. "Would you mind doing your own stuff? If you need that much of attention, go do something else. You're acting like a kid trying to find someone to mess around with you. I ain't got that amount of time."

"W-What?!" Splendont widened his eyes incredulously, not believing his brother had addressed him as a child. He clenched his fists and attempted to punch Splendid, who successfully dodged and took hold of Splendont's arms. "Stop it. I really have no time for your games. If you excuse me."

Splendid released Splendont and started trotting away, leaving the redhead in bewilderment.

"AND YOU'RE ACTING LIKE A COWARD!" Splendont shouted. "YOU FRAIDY CAT, SISSY FAGGOT, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING AMETUR HERO, FUCK YOU!"

"Whatever you say~" Splendid hummed back, not giving a damn to Splendont's words.

Splendont dropped his jaws, utterly astounded. He couldn't believe his brother didn't feel anything being insulted that way. He had thought he would turn back and come darting towards him. And yet, he kept on walking. Straying farther and farther away from him. The red teen felt a lump in his throat. For once in his life, he didn't seem to understand his twin anymore.

* * *

Splendont paced restlessly in his own house, his hands behind his back. A distressed look sprawled over his face as he struggled to comprehend Splendid's recent radical changes. He rubbed his chin contemplatively, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. When he eventually grew tired of thinking, he flopped back in his chair and sighed. Briskly, he removed his mask and hurled it to the floor. His scarlet eyes glittered as he stared at the ground. It's no good at all. Without his twin responding to his harassment, life simply…wasn't at all fun. He had never thought he would depend on Splendid that much. He really needed his presence to sustain his own joy of life. If he couldn't even humiliate and abuse him, he might as well stop being a hero. After all, his whole point of being a hero was just to irritate Splendid by constantly stealing his role and offending him in the public. His pure enjoyment stemmed from seeing his twin suffer. But now…things were going really astray. He just couldn't grasp the sense of it. Since when had Splendid been acting so apathetic towards him? How had be become so free of grudge and vengeance?

"ERRR…" Splendont grunted. It just didn't appeal to him anymore. Provoking Splendid could no longer grant him happiness when he didn't even care what he did or said to him. He could feel Splendid was getting annoyed by his persistent disturbance which had never happened before. In the past, he was always more than thrilled to accept any challenge from Splendont just to prove he was much more capable. He had too much pride to carry. He simply wouldn't surrender to Splendont, clearly not by declining his request.

"What on earth has happened to him?!" Splendont asked, his voice echoing in the room. He put his mask back on and stormed out of the house. He couldn't let himself drown in so many unanswered questions anymore. If Splendid refused to tell him anything, he might just dig it out on his own. He would find out what the bluenette was up to and then brought him back to his old self.

Splendont flew to Splendid's house. He landed on the porch. He hated coming to his place. Ever since they had a serious fight in middle school, they had never been able to come to a compromise. Neither of the two admitted their fault and defeat. They just kept on quarrelling until one of them was completely beaten.

Splendont was about to barge into the house when he heard some chattering noise from inside. He scowled and peeked through the window. The next thing he knew, he felt his blood chilled. He was basically stiffened by what he saw.

There it was. His twin brother. He was sitting in the living room laughing. Someone was with him though. The boy sat across Splendid, making all kinds of gestures as he talked to him. Splendont clung closer to the window to take a clearer view of the boy that was accompanying Splendid. He couldn't see his face because his back was facing the window. Nonetheless, Splendont recognized that dark green hair. The figure looked ever so familiar. An outrageous deduction crossed Splendont's mind but he refused to believe it.

"No, it can't be." Splendont thought, hardly imagining Splendid could be smiling so gleefully at the boy. As far as he knew, Splendid doesn't have many acquaintances. The only friend he seems to possess is this timid, paranoid girl called Flaky. Besides her, Splendont couldn't think of anyone sharing such an intimate relationship with Splendid.

At once, Splendid stood up, still oblivious to Splendont's presence, probably because he was indulging too much in his little chat with his mate. He walked over to the green-haired boy and chuckled. The greenette looked up and grinned. And then, what happened next stupefied the outsider. Splendid bent down and cupped his companion's chins, gently leaning in and planting a soft, swift kiss on his lips. The green-haired boy submitted to Splendid's kiss passionately, wrapping his arms around the blue teen's neck.

Outside the window, Splendont blinked in astonishment at the scene. He couldn't believe it! He just…couldn't believe it!

His brother….His twin brother was kissing a male! Not to mention when the green-haired boy turned around, it showed a face Splendont loathed more than anything else in this world. _That face. That hair. Those eyes._

"Damn!" Splendont cursed under his breath, his cheeks almost burning with flame. He balled his hands into fists the moment he spotted the two boys in the house slowly approaching the couch and settling down in peace. Splendid sat down first. Lifty then joined him, laying his head on his lap. The bluenette smiled and ruffled Lifty's hair. The thief shut his eyes merrily and began to take an afternoon nap.

"What the fuck?!" All that came out of Splendont's mouth was a confounded speech. He wished this was all just a dream. A ridiculous one. Seriously, witnessing his twin living together with a villain was bad enough. To know they were behaving in a way a couple does, it simply hit Splendont like a bomb. He had never yet felt so appalled and irritated at the same time. He had always thought Lifty was Splendid's eternal rival, destined nemesis. What's worse, he had always thought Splendid was…straight.

"Shit." Splendid flailed his hands agitatedly, shaking his head in consternation. He lumbered back to the pavement, his mind still lost in what he had just seen.

"No, it isn't true." He kept denying the fact in his own mind. "It can't be true. It must be some sort of disgusting nightmare I'm having right now. Darn, I feel like throwing up. What the hell. What the hell?!"

He pinched himself so hard that it almost became evident all he was experiencing was a reality. The fact that Splendid was now dating a notorious criminal completely mystified Splendont. All the way back home, the redhead couldn't shake off the awful image of his brother kissing another guy. It was…mentally scarring him.

"Oh crap. Oh crap." He yapped. "This is just too much. Way too much. Shit, what the heck is going on with you, Splendid?!"

He slammed the door so violently that the hinge almost detached from its position. Splendont began to breathe heavily. He had to think of something, as he reckoned. He had to stop this madness for good. The person that was touching his brother was someone he detested most in his life. He was nothing more than a shameful lowlife. He, together with his twin, whom people called as Shifty, should be rotting in jail instead of wandering freely in the town. They should have been executed long ago if death penalty had ever existed here and if the town didn't have a resurrection curse that kept bringing dead people back to life.

"This is crazy!" Splendont shrieked. "Damn it. My brother, dating a lowlife, a scum, a fag... Oh gosh, this can't be more scandalous. Geez, I'm going to end this! NOW!"

* * *

Shifty lingered in the back street with a cigarette and a beer bottle. He growled in frustration when an image of his twin flashed across his head. He couldn't believe a simple conflict with his twin would turn out like this. He had, indeed, abandoned him several times during their heist and even sacrificed Lifty's life sometimes to save his own. He had never thought Lifty would be so exasperated. After all, he had always come back to life and Shifty would always apologize to him afterwards. This time though, Shifty had absconded out of the town with his loot, completely ditching Lifty and leaving him to die in the hands of the superhero. When he returned ten days later, he thought Lifty had already gotten over the incident and would most definitely come home with him. And yet, he smacked him. He scolded him mercilessly. He even declared to stop being his brother.

"Ugh, God damn it, why hasn't he come home already?!" Shifty grumbled and took a sip of the liquor. He had been waiting for more than one month now. Lifty had never shown up again, not since that day he had pissed him off so badly in the grocery store. Shifty couldn't believe Lifty was committing himself to proper jobs. He teased him and even yelled at him like a manic. The younger twin had retorted saying firmly that he wouldn't be living with Shifty anymore and that they should take different paths.

"Geez, is this really what you want?" Shifty snorted. "Where are you, Lift? At least show up if you want an apology from me. Damn it."

Shifty had never thought he would be the one regretting it. When he stomped out of that grocery store full of wrath, he had unconsciously denounced Lifty as his twin. He had accepted his idea of splitting their path and never crossing each other's life again. However, Shifty was heavily drunk at that time. What he had said was completely reckless and to a great extent, untrue. After a month of being left alone, solitude began to haunt him. Shifty didn't realize he had only had his brother to cling to. Now that he was gone, there was no one there to do the chores at home. No one to partake in the heist with him. No one to share his loot and make him smile.

"DAMN IT." Shifty screeched, finally losing control. "WHEREVER YOU ARE, COME OUT AND SEE ME!"

The older twin was far too vain to admit the fact that he really needed his brother in his life. It was simply miserable and pathetic. He hadn't been stealing for approximately two weeks because of Lifty's absence. He had used up all his money. By next week, he would be straying in the street when he couldn't afford the rent of his apartment anymore. Well,_ their apartment._

Depressed, Shifty chucked the glass bottle against the wall. It shattered into pieces. The male spitted out his last and only cigarette.

"Great." He laughed sarcastically to himself. "Now I'm gonna starve till death."

Shifty had no idea how long he had been sleeping in the alleyway when a shadow hovered over him. Vaguely conscious, he opened his lids. His stomach was churning. He was…thirsty and hungry. Fatigued as well.

Whoever that was standing above him coughed, apparently implying that Shifty should show some response. The kleptomaniac greenette sat up roughly. Now, his eyes were wide open. He gawked at the boy in front of him.

"Shit." Shifty panicked, cowering in one corner. "What're you doing here? I haven't stolen anything! I swear I haven't!"

Splendont loured at Shifty and snarled. "I'm not here to arrest you, faggot."

It took Shifty a moment to register Splendont's words. When he heard that he wasn't coming to arrest him, Shifty breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed a little.

"Oh." Shifty rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Shouldn't you go disturbing people's sleep?"

"I don't give a damn what you're doing, scatterbrain." Splendont said, clasping Shifty's shirt forcefully and hauling him up.

"Woah, easy there!" Shifty held up his hands in defense. "What did I do now?"

"You did nothing." Splendont said sternly. "We need to talk."

The greenette raised his brows in amazement. He was surprised that Splendont would even bother to talk to him. Something was just going bizarre. For all he could remember, every time he encountered Splendont, he would surely threaten him to get out of his way. The redhead despised him so much that he wouldn't hesitate to slice him open even though he hadn't committed any illegitimate things.

"Oh, okay." Shifty said. He couldn't possibly reject Splendont for he knew too well the consequence of doing so. The last thing he wanted was to be burned by laser eyes. That would be too excruciating.

Splendont led him out of the alleyway and the two walked down the street.

A couple of minutes passed and Shifty was still following closely behind Splendont when he began to get suspicious. He had no clue where they were heading to.

"Hey, where are we going?" Shifty asked, jamming his hands into his pockets. When Splendont didn't answer him promptly, he asked again. "Hello? Where are we-"

"JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Splendont bawled. The greenette hushed, his heart pounding fast. He could almost sense the intimidating aura enclosing him. He said no more.

"Just follow me." Splendont muttered.

They went up the hill and eventually halted in front of a two-storey red house.

_"Oh no."_ Shifty thought. _"What the hell does he want bringing me to his place? Shit."_

Splendont booted open the door and kicked Shifty in. The thief collapsed to the floor with a groan. He began to freak out as Splendont strode towards him.

"H-Hey…" Shifty crawled backwards, dodging from Splendont until his back slumped against a wall. "I…I didn't do anything...Don't kill me."

"Get up, maggot." Splendont ordered. Shifty, as clumsy as could be, pull himself up. Once he stood up again, Splendont tossed him brutally onto the sofa. He sat in a chair facing him.

"Now, our talk." Splendont said, crossing his legs. "Where's your brother?"

"W-What?" Shifty frowned, confused.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS YOUR BROTHER?!" Splendont howled. "Do I need to fucking repeat my question each time?!"

"No! No! Sorry!" Shfity cringed instantly. "He…He isn't around."

"Where is he?"

"I don't' know."

"You don't know?" Splendont furrowed his brows, clearly unconvinced. "Do you think I'll believe that?"

"It's true!" Shifty said. "I haven't seen him lately. Not in a month actually…"

"What happened?"

"Huh?"

"YOU!" Splendont rolled up his sleeves, ready to slap Shifty. The thief immediately knew he had infuriated him by failing to answer his questions right away.

"W-Wait!" Shifty shouted. "Hold on. I'll talk. I'll talk."

Splendid sat back in his chair and glowered at Shifty impatiently.

"We fell out some time ago." The thief said as he recalled the incident. "He said he wouldn't be coming home with me anymore. Yea, that is."

"You're missing some parts." Splendont pinpointed.

"What parts?"

"Who's he living with then?"

Shifty scratched his head in puzzlement. He knew he had to come up with a reply fast. Otherwise, Splendont would absolutely punish him for not answering his question. Still, he didn't know how to respond to it. At some point, he even doubted if he understood what Splendont was talking about.

"Actually…" Shifty stuttered. "I also want to know his whereabouts now…"

"So, you have no idea what he's been doing for the past few weeks?" Splendont scowled.

"No. I told you, we argued, parted and then…well, he's gone."

"For God's sake, I'll tell you where he is!" Splendont marched towards Shifty and grasped chucks of his hair, causing him to moan in agony. Shifty waved his hands and struggled but the red hero was way too strong.

"Now, I'm going to tell you what the fuck your rubbish brother is doing!" Splendont bellowed, tightening his grip around Shifty's hair. "Your fucking idiotic brother is dating my brother! YOU KNOW THAT?!"

"E-Eh…?" Shifty gazed at Splendont in horror. The redhead had his other hand around his throat, seemingly trying to strangle him or to break his neck.

"Damn it." Suddenly, Splendont released Shifty and treaded back to the couch.

"Er…w-what do you mean?" Shifty stammered.

"I saw them living together." Splendont said. "Yesterday."

"What the…" Shifty's mouth gaped open. He could hardly believe what he heard. "You mean…Lifty is now living with Splendid?"

"Yea. And they kissed."

Again, Shifty doubted if he was mishearing something. He couldn't get more dumbstruck than hearing the news of his brother in a relationship with Splendid.

"T-This…can't be true."

"Do I need to prove it to you?" Splendont asked, glancing at Shifty fiercely.

"N-No…" Shifty shook his head. "But…how…how come?"

"Exactly." Splendont bit his lips. "If I know what's going on, I wouldn't have come and found you. But it seems that you son of a bitch know nothing at all."

"Hmm…" Shifty pondered hard for a while, not so sure what to say. He could barely believe the truth, in fact. He had thought Lifty had left the town or something but instead he was actually hanging out with Splendid. So…does that mean something had happened between them? It just doesn't sound rational for a hero to be dating a villain.

"S-So…what s-should we do?" Shifty finally asked.

Splendont didn't answer him. He kept looking at the floor, his fingers tapping the table repeatedly.

The thief didn't dare speak again. He could only sit back and wait until Splendont figured out what to do next.


	2. Lackey

***A/N* Heya! Thanks for supporting this sequel. I'm actually quite excited about it. And since Splendont is so violent, feel free to pity Shifty! Because I feel sorry for him too :$**  
**I want more suspense in this story so the truth of their past will be revealed later. More action scenes first!: ) Enjoy and tell me what you think. See ya! :V**

* * *

**Shifty's POV**

I stared at Splendont nervously. Damn, he was really scaring the shit out of me. Those scarlet eyes were sparkling like diamonds, only much more intimidating. I couldn't believe what was happening_. Seriously, Lifty…together with Splendid?_ Gosh, I simply couldn't imagine anything more absurd and despicable. But again, I doubted if Splendont would even lie about something like this.

I didn't realize Lifty would seek shelter from Splendid after quarrelling with me. Whatever happened afterwards had to be some sort of inconceivable events. How could a thief be dating a hero? This doesn't sound right at all. It could be one of the most hilarious jokes in the century.

"We need to separate them." Splendont said firmly.

_Oh, okay, if he says so. I wouldn't like seeing my idiotic brother dating our enemy either. Considering I haven't seen him for a month, I really want to bring him home. As soon as possible. _

"We gotta end this bullshit before it gets too far." Splendont punched the table indignantly, immediately slicing the furniture into half. I gasped, fear completely enveloping me.

_Darn, I really can't take this anymore…He…He's so fucking terrifying. It's like every second of my life is being severely threatened._

"You." Splendont turned to glare at me. I blenched automatically.

"Er…yea?" I wondered what he had in store for Lifty and Splendid. He must be planning on something wicked. Well, he could go on as long as it brought me back my twin. I just wanted Lifty to come home with me. I needed someone to be my partner in crime. And I had never expected he could be stolen by some shitty amateur hero.

"You had better cooperate with me." The redhead said grimly. I cocked my brows, pretty amazed actually.

_Did I just hear him say 'cooperate'? Nah, that's too funny. Enemies don't cooperate with each other. Especially not him and me._

"No, more precisely, you had better do as I say." Splendont clarified. He looked so somber that I wouldn't bring myself to believe it was a joke. What did he want me to do? How was I supposed to separate my brother and Splendid?

_Crap, I haven't even seen them together. I'm only hearing this from Splendont._

"Um…Can I ask a question?" I raised my hand anxiously. Geez, being in the same room with this monster was sending shivers down my spine. When he turned to ogle me with those dauting, thought-penetrating orbs, I felt goose bumps all over my body. I reflexively averted my gaze to the floor. I couldn't take his glance. He was looking as though he was going to hound me or something. Well…I guessed, he hadn't changed at all. Not since our high school graduation.

"What?"

"H-How long have they been together?" I asked.

"Do you fucking think I know everything?" He roared, clenching his fists all at once. "Damn it, this is what we've got to find out. I only saw them kiss and it's enough to whack me like hell. Fuck you. Fuck your brother. I always knew lowlifes like you are nothing but trouble. This time, your fucking freaky brother is seducing Splendid. I'm definitely not turning a blind eye to this. He's going to die for sure!"

_'Lowlifes'…eh? So, he still loathes people like us to death. I thought he would get over what has happened between us back at school. Guess it's one of my other illusions._

"Why are you so certain that Lifty is the active one?" I argued, trying my best to defend my brother. This red jerk in front of me was pissing me off. Honestly, he had crossed my line long time ago. If he weren't a superhero, I would have killed him. "Maybe it's your shitty brother who's seducing my twin!"

"SAY WHAT?"

Splendont stomped towards me and gripped my shirt. Ay, I lost count of how many times he had lost his temper. My shirt was all wrinkled now. He basically pulled me up, his face leaning in ever so close that I was forced to make eye-contact with him. He wasn't using his laser beams but those crimson eyes were surely burning my souls.

"Hey, it's just…a possibility." I said. "You can't assume Lifty must be the one who took the initiatives! It can be the other way round. Your brother is kidnapping my brother!"

"Ugh." Splendont rolled his eyes and threw me to the ground. "You piece of trash. JUST SHUT UP. Who asks you to talk and presume things on your own? Huh? I'm in charge here. I said, YOU DO AS I SAY. No more questions."

"Playing bossy eh?" I scorned. "What if I don't do as you say?"

"You wanna try me?" He growled, shoving me against the wall. He lifted his fist and aimed straight at my face.

"Kill me then." I smirked. "I ain't your slave. Go on. I'll just come back to life tomorrow."

"Screw you!" He slapped me hard. So hard that I could almost feel my cheekbones fracture. I landed on the ground, coughing up blood. He pounced at me and trampled on my hand, twisting it several times until I cried in pain.

_Shit. This is way too much. I wish he would just kill me and end it fast. But then, it isn't his usual character to grant his victim immediate death. This guy likes bedeviling others bit by bit._

At one point, I started laughing frantically. He frowned, alarmed. He humped me up again and pushed to the wall.

"What the hell are you laughing about?" He interrogated, almost crushing my shoulders.

"If you think you can make me do as you say by attacking me like this, you've got to be wrong, shitface."

Well, that was it. Sufficient to set him off. At least, I retained my little pride. He punched my guts so hard that I nearly threw up. I collapsed to the ground, wiggling like a worm. Blood kept spurting out of my mouth. Still, I forced a faint smile. A silly faint smile.

"Let me tell you one thing, Shifty." Splendont yanked me up by my hair. "I don't have that much time to mess around with you. I'd be glad to kill you but right now, you had better know your situation. If you don't think I can order you around, I'll give you a whole damn good reason right now. I'm taking you as my lackey so you're going to do what I tell you to whether you like it or not. Or perhaps if you wish to suffer more, I don't mind. I can rip you apart slowly, so very slowly that each part of your body can take that acute pain. You wouldn't die in an instant, of course. You know well the kind of games I'd love to play, don't you?"

He clasped my arm and sprained it while giving my right knee a fatal kick. At once, I felt the time cease. The burning ache seeped through my skin and muscles, wrecking every single joint and nerve within my limb. He broke my tendon and bones. The pain was unbearable. I could barely hold back my tears. I groaned, my consciousness draining away. Before I knew it, I zonked out.

* * *

**Splendont's POV**

Well…I didn't expect him to pass out so fast. Perhaps I overdid it again. He clearly had two limbs and a rib cage broken. He shut his eyes tightly. Darn, I hadn't even finished my speech yet. I ran into the bathroom, returning with a bucket of ice water. In a second, I splashed the freezing liquid all over his face. He groaned and merely blinked twice.

"Wake up."

I hurled the bucket at him. It slammed straight on his head. He moaned in agony, trying to sit up but all he could do was crawling helplessly on the floor.

No, as I reminded myself, I wouldn't show mercy to this person. _Not anymore._ He had long exceeded my limits of tolerance. I wished he could just vanish from this world forever but right at this moment, I needed him to deal with my shitty brother's gay issues. I figured he also wanted to retrieve his own twin, so we might work together for once. But I was certainly not going to let him have his way. He had to know his place. Someone as disgraceful as him had no liberty to talk back at me. I would be the one abusing him until he met his doom.

"Get up!" I dragged him across the room, not caring if this act would aggravate his injuries. I would kill him later anyway. He couldn't possibly move with his broken bones.

"S-Stop it…" He winced, puffing. I watched more blood spill out from his mouth.

"What did you say?" I crouched before him and smiled.

"P-Please…" He pleaded. Oh, how adorable when he begged for mercy. A minute ago he was still trying to test my temper, wasn't he? He thought he could disagree with what I said and refuse to obey me, huh? _Not a chance, brat._

"I'll only say this once more." I declared, grasping his hair and holding him close to my face. I stared slyly into his teary emerald eyes. Damn, I had a thought of gorging them out and hearing him scream like a baby. That would be fun. The mere sight of his face disgusted me. It never failed to turn on my murderous mood. He hadn't changed a bit, I see. He still looked the same as when he was in high school. My grudge towards him stayed the same. I wanted to torment him in every possible way.

"You're now my lackey. You do whatever I tell you to." I said. "If I ask you to die, you have to die. If I ask you to zip your mouth, you have to shut the fuck up. Without my permissions, don't ask any questions. Don't challenge my authority. Otherwise, I'll make your already hellish life even more hellish. Now, boy, you wouldn't want that, right? You wouldn't want to try me again, eh?"

I tightened my grip. He muffled a groan as tears streamed down his ruined face.

"UNDERSTAND?"

"Y-Yes…" He nodded. I released him and searched his pockets, eventually pulling out a handgun.

"W-What're you…doing…?" He widened his eyes, his face turning colorless.

_Meh, his petrified look is extremely appealing. It makes me want to screw him even more._

I pointed the gun right at his forehead.

"N-No…" He whimpered, hugging my wrist. "P-Please…"

"With those injuries of yours, it would probably take more than a week to recover." I grinned. "You said you want to end this fast, right? I'll help you. From tomorrow onwards, you work for me until we successfully separate our stupid brothers."

"S-Stop it!" Shifty begged. "Please!"

"Good night, Shifty." I chuckled. "See you tomorrow."

I pulled the trigger and with a deafening screech, the bullet penetrated his head. His hollow eyes stayed wide open, his face covered in massive blood. His body collapsed limply to the floor. Dead.

I threw the gun away and left the corpse on the spot. I had not any more time to waste. Swiftly, I went back to my room, ready to scheme something for my dear, dear brother.

The next day, I woke up and headed downstairs. Sure enough, Shifty had been resurrected. The blood had dried but red stains remained on his shirt. He perked up. Once he saw me, he blanched in one corner like a frightened cat.

_Oh boy, I love it when he's scared. A day ago he was still thinking he could fight against me and now he's shivering like the worst victim in this world._

"Well?" I snickered casually and approached him. He slouched against the wall, his face full of angst. "Refreshing, isn't it?"

"Hmm…" He babbled and wheezed.

"Come on, you've died for more than you can even remember it." I taunted. "A little gift from me isn't that bad, right? After all, I didn't actually lay my hands on you. I was using your own gun."

"Er…" He snorted and looked away.

"Get up and clean yourself." I ordered. "We have things to do today."

We plodded down the street in silence. Basically, I still hadn't figured out what to do with Splendid and Lifty. There had to be some way to stop this nonsense. The first thing we needed though was to find those two jerks.

"Um…I don't mean to be nosy. But where exactly are we going?" Shifty asked, hands behind his back. I narrowed my eyes and glowered at him.

_Damn. He never listens, does he? I told him not to ask questions without my permissions!_

Immediately, he recoiled backwards, hands up in defense. "S-Sorry."

"We're going to find our damn brothers." I answered him. "And then, we'll screw things up for them."

I laughed softly, gesturing him to continue following me.

"By the way, you do want Lifty back, right?" I asked. I realized if we weren't opting for the same goal, there was no point of me taking him as my slave. I could just slaughter him and proceed with the plan by myself.

"Of course!" He said. "Who knows what your brother is doing to my Lifty!"

"Say it again and you're not coming back until tomorrow." I growled. He hushed and stared down at the ground.

_For all I know, I'm absolutely positive that it's the thief who's seducing my brother. Splendid wouldn't be that foolish to actually get involved in any kind of relationships with some stupid, vulgar lowlife. Does he not give a damn to his reputation anymore? I'm certain when these detestable twins defeated him with that krytopout, he felt mortified for a long period of time. Just what on earth has gone wrong with his mind? Dating a villain? Our enemy? Our all-time nemesis? The culprit of our corrupted, decaying relationship in the first place? Darn, I can't understand it. This is all too crazy._

"Er…Splendont?"

"Now what?" I frowned at the annoying thief beside me, my eyes almost bulging to show how peeved I was. I was thinking of something and all of a sudden, his voice cut off my train of thoughts. I wouldn't deny I had a spur of moment of wanting to punch him again.

"D-Do you happen to have some food around you?" Shifty asked, his hands rubbing his stomach. "B-Because er…I haven't eaten anything for three days actually."

_What the fuck? Is he asking me for food? This lowlife certainly doesn't know how to spell the word 'shame', does he?_

"Excuse me?" I pulled my brows together, taking a step closer to him. He flinched fretfully.

"I'm hungry."

_Geez, I can't believe he really blurted it out. This guy is so pathetic._

"Do you think I care about your stomach?" I bellowed. "You might just starve to death. I wouldn't care. Don't speak to me as if I would pity you. Remember, you're just a lackey."

"Exactly." He nodded his head and shrugged. "According to your claims, if I'm now your slave, shouldn't you be the one who provides food for me? A master doesn't starve his lackey, right? If he wants him to work for him."

_This…is getting really galling. What kind of shameless speech is that? What a despicable dweeb!_

"So, you're getting back at me now, eh?" I seized his tie and shoved my fist to his face. He panicked and ducked.

"N-No!" He yelped. "I'm not lying. I'm really hungry…If I don't gain any strength, I can't possibly do anything…"

"Ugh." I rolled my eyes and let go of him.

"Or if you don't mind." Shifty continued. "I might go steal something right now. A loaf or two. I'll come back later."

"Don't bother with it!" I squealed. "We'll have lunch, okay? OKAY?"

"Oh…" He looked shocked but nodded. "O-Okay."

_Just say, waiting for him to steal a bun can take forever. This guy can hardly steal things successfully. He's just as stupid as his twin. The two are simply feeble, brainless and abhorable ._

Having lunch wasn't really at all a bad idea. At least, we could sit down and plan out something while we were dining. Once we entered the diner, my slave began ordering plenty of food as though I wasn't even there.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Huh?" Shifty looked up at me with one of his dumbest expressions.

"Do you think I'm a mobile bank?" I yowled at him, smacking him across the face. He grunted and fell to the floor with his bleeding cheek.

"You don't have a say here." I said. "You eat what I give you. Or you're going to eat shit."

The thief glanced at me resentfully, his eyes gleaming with unspeakable ire. I could almost hear him curse at me but those foul words never escaped his mouth. He knew whom he was dealing with. If he leaked out one single insult, I could guarantee that he was going to be condemned back to hell. He sat back up and leaned against the chair. By then, he had grown so weak that he could hardly utter another word.

I left him suffering from his hunger and thirst. He deserved it anyway. He deserved even something worse. Watching him fidget helplessly gave me pleasure.

_I hate him. I hate him so much that I want to tear off his organs one by one. But right now, I can't do that. I need him to tackle my brother's hassle. If Lifty isn't his twin, I wouldn't even bother to find him in the first place._

"You…haven't changed a bit…" Out of the blue, he muttered, tilting his head slightly to one side as we waited for the meal. "Ever since that time, you've been trying to torture me by all means."

I gawked at him. Part of me was surprised. Part of me though didn't want to respond to his comment.

"Why…must you do this to us?" He said. "Lifty and I…never got in your way. You don't have to treat us like-"

"You listen carefully." I interrupted. "It's not what you do that gets on me. It's the simple fact that a person like you even exists on earth. Someone like you shouldn't even have been born to this world. You're such a pest. A useless, deposable bug that keeps making people hate you. You understand that, don't you? You can be rotting in prison any time if I decide to take you to jail. You had better watch what you do and say."

My words must have hit him hard. He gulped and looked away. I couldn't care less if my speech hurt and degraded him. _That's my intention._ I had been waiting to do this for three years, since that incident. I had been awaiting a golden opportunity to crush him harshly to a point that he might consider committing suicide. He deserved all the punishment that could ever be offered to him. He needed retribution. A hellish one. Someone like him got on my nerves.

"Okay…" He murmured quietly.

_Well, I'm actually expecting more out of him. I thought he would rebut me._

The frozen silence between us was cut off when I caught sight of two figures outside the diner.

"Hey, look." I hissed. Shifty turned to the window immediately.

Sure enough, our brothers were walking in the street. Hand in hand!

"Damn it." I cussed. Shifty looked as thunderstruck as me. We gobbled down our food in a split second and stormed out of the diner.

"W-What…should we do now?" Shifty peeked at me.

I could feel heat bubbling up within me. My rage…it simply wouldn't stop now.

"We're going to meet them." I said. "RIGHT NOW."

Without hesitation, I dragged Shifty along with me. Together, we lunged towards the two gay boys.

"SPLENDID!" I barked.

All at once, Splendid and Lifty halted. They both turned to goggle at us, their face ever so stunned and pale.

I smirked evilly, ready for a good damn fight.


	3. Blood of Wrath

***A/N* Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Just glad you're all enjoying the story! Well, there will be more Splendont X Shifty scenes in the next chapter and the depressing flashbacks! Before that, I'll leave you here to wonder about whatever has happened between them in the past... Enjoy and tell me what you think of this one :3**

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The riled redhead lunged towards his twin, attempting a kick. Splendid swerved instantly, blocking several blows from Splendont. The two began tussling with one another. Splendont cuffed his brother's face and shoved him with all his might. The bluenette shrank back and activated his laser eyes. The fiery beams though were deflated by Splendont. In retaliation, the younger twin charged at Splendid, hanging on to his neck. The two flew back in chaos, crashing a number of constructions that came in their way. The ground split and quaked as the two superheroes battled with each other.

"Shit." Lifty stared at the duo fearfully. He wanted to help his lover but apparently, he couldn't meddle in their duel.

"You!" Shifty stomped towards his own twin and grasped his hand.

"O-Ouch!" Lifty groaned, struggling to break free from his brother's grip.

"What on earth are you doing with Splendid?!" Shifty interrogated, lugging Lifty into the alleyway.

"Why are you here?" Lifty widened his eyes.

"Why do you think I'm here?!" Shifty bawled. "What's wrong with you? I've been waiting for you to come home and now you're dating the shitty hero? Seriously?"

"Yea, so what?" Lifty snorted and shook off his brother's hands.

"Lifty! What's happened to you?!" Shifty exclaimed. "Tell me, did Splendid force himself on you or what? Why are you-"

"He didn't force himself on me!" Lifty retorted. "We love each other. That is. Okay?"

Shifty gaped at his brother in shock. All the words he heard sounded unreal to him. He couldn't believe Lifty was actually in love with Splendid. The entire issue was simply nerve-wrecking and irrational!

"Bullshit." Shifty snarled, dragging Lifty by the sleeves. "You're coming home with me. NOW!"

"No!" Lifty smacked his brother. "I'm not coming home with you! I've said it already! We're no brothers anymore. I won't follow you again. We are taking different paths!"

"Shut up." Shifty pressed on. "You're coming with me whether you like it or-"

_Slap!_

Shifty stumbled backwards, rubbing his swollen cheek. He glared at his brother. It was his fault that Lifty had changed into someone else. He knew it. He couldn't blame anyone because he was the one who caused him to disconnect their blood relations. Still, being slapped twice by his own brother stabbed his heart. Tears began to sting Shifty's eyes.

"Lifty…please." Shifty sighed in guilt. "Come home with me…I'm sorry for what I did. I only want you back…Please?"

Lifty frowned. When he spotted his older brother crying, he felt like whimpering as well. But he couldn't go back with him regardless of what he said. He was so in love with Splendid. They had vowed to be together.

"Will you forgive me, please?" Shifty pleaded, holding Lifty's shoulders. The younger twin didn't budge. He simply stared at Shifty with his twinkling green eyes.

"I…" Lifty stuttered. "I…don't know."

"You're my only brother. The only person left in this world that I can rely on." Shifty confessed. "I can't afford to lose you. Please, come home with me."

"Shifty." Lifty took a deep breath and said sternly. "You have my forgiveness but I'm not coming with you. I can't."

"Why?" Shifty scowled, his expression sinking.

"Because…I'm now living with Splendid." Lifty admitted. "And so…I can't stay with you anymore. We can still see each other sometimes, perhaps."

"No! I don't want this!" Shifty bargained. "I don't want you to go out with that damn hero! This is wrong, Lift. SO WRONG. You shouldn't be dating a guy for the start. Let alone it's him! He's our enemy! Have you lost your mind?"

"No." Lifty replied calmly. "I haven't lost my mind. It's a shame that for all these years, I have failed to realize he's actually the one for me. Now that we're finally together, I can't let it go."

Shifty gasped, astounded. The fact that his brother was leaving him for the hero traumatized him. He had never thought he would feel so enraged. It didn't bother him that much that Lifty was dating someone. But when that particular someone turned out to be Splendid, it just…startled him. Worst of all, Lifty refused to return home with him.

"CURSE YOU, SPLENDID! "

A shrill screech echoed above them. Lifty and Shifty looked up at the sky. A flash of blue swished by, colliding with the red target. Bumping onto each other, the two superheroes sparked off a destructive explosion. The boisterous sound pierced Lifty's ears as he called out for Splendid to stop. The two injured rivals swooped down and landed on the ground, both puffing heavily clamping their hands over their bleeding gash.

"Splendid…" Lifty darted over towards the bluenette, examining his wounds.

"Run, Lifty." Splendid hissed. "Leave this place."

"No, I'm not leaving."

Splendont got back up on his feet, huffing and grunting. Shifty stood like a fossilized statue, not knowing if he should take a side or not. When he caught sight of his twin sobbing over the blue hero's casualties, he felt his heart ache. He had never seen Lifty get so apprehensive before. It's as though he was…so scared that Splendid would die.

"Enough!" Splendid wheezed, coughing up more blood.

"It's not enough!" Splendont shrieked, his face burning red. "So this is the reason of your recent changes, huh?" He pointed at Lifty. "This thief has manipulated you, hasn't he? He's turned you into someone else. Someone who can no longer fight. Is that right?!"

"Shut up…" Splendid said. "If you lay a finger on him, I'm going to kill you."

The redhead laughed. "Kill me? Oh, can you?"

Splendid balled his hands into fists, ready to strike again but Lifty held him back.

"Don't." Lifty whispered. "He might kill you."

"I don't care!" Splendid squawked. "I've had enough of you, Splendont! Damn, you just won't leave us alone, right? Come on then. If you want to fight that much, I'll fight with you! You nasty, evil thug!"

"Do you think you have the right to say that to me?" Splendont roared. "You sissy sucker, dating a lowlife. I can't imagine anything more disgusting than this! Seriously, I have no idea what he's done to your mind. You're now ignoring everything except him! Do you still know your duties and pride? Do you forget all about your dignity? Geez, hooking up with a filthy bug. I wonder what Dad and Mom would say if they know it! You're humiliating our whole lineage. You mind-twisted bastard!"

"SAY IT AGAIN!"

With that, the two heroes resumed their fight, brutally bombarding each other until losing their last breath.

"Shifty, do something!" Lifty yelled.

"W-What?" Shifty ogled his brother as if he was insane.

"Do something before Splendont kills Splendid!"

"Are you kidding me?" Shifty exclaimed. "I'm not going to interfere with their fight! And it's your fault, Lift. You shouldn't be dating Splendid. He's a guy!"

"So?" Lifty growled. "Does that matter? Does my dating a guy concern you that much? At least, he's never abandoned me like you did!"

"Gosh…do you even know what you're talking about?" Shifty howled, hopping mad. He wished so much to punch his brother but he couldn't. Lifty's weeping face convinced him that everything was not a dream. He was uncontrollably, awfully in love with Splendid.

Another thunderous noise came from the sky. This time, Splendont fell down first. Splendid thrashed him ruthlessly, plunging his back to the ground. Splendont muffled a moan and struck back. His twin caught his fist and flung his entire body towards the wall. The redhead collapsed in a flash.

Splendid merely stood still and gazed down at his twin. He didn't intend to hurt Splendont like this but he had left him no choice. He couldn't spare Splendont because he might come trying to harm Lifty. The bluenette could never permit anyone to kill his lover.

"Splendont, I never thought I would want to kill you." Splendid said. "But you're being utterly selfish and unreasonable. If you ever come near me again, I'm not so sure what I might do to you. Just so you know, even if you're my brother, I won't show mercy. Not anymore."

"You…" Splendont, still maddened, sat up surrounded by his blood. "You'll regret this one day. You will know you should never have fallen in love with him."

"Well, until then, don't get in my way." Splendid smirked, wrapping his arm around Lifty's shoulder. "I have my own privilege to love whoever I want to. You had better buck off and stay mute."

"I hate you." The redhead screamed. "I HATE YOU!"

"So do I." Splendid said nonchalantly. Taking Lifty in his hands, he flew off.

Shifty blinked perplexedly at the scene. He watched his brother being taken away by the blue hero, their figures drifting farther up into the sky. He looked back at Splendont, who had successfully stood back up, though still in serious spasm.

"What're you waiting for?" Splendont yapped. "Come and give me a hand!"

Reluctantly, the thief trudged towards the redhead. He didn't exactly want to help Splendont but it was the only thing he could do. He needed him to figure out something fast. Something that could possibly help bring Lifty back to him.

"Now…what do we do?" Shifty asked as they hobbled on the cracked road.

"I'll think of something." Splendont said, his eyes glistening in sheer fury. "I can't let him have his way. This bastard brother of mine."

Shifty laid Splendont on the couch. The red hero groaned in anguish. Shifty took a look at his own hands which were soaked in more blood than ever. He ogled Splendont nervously, wondering what he should do next.

"Hey." Splendont mumbled weakly. "Pull out your gun and shoot me."

"Huh?" Shifty furrowed his brows, dumbstruck.

"Do I need to fucking repeat my words to you every time?" Splendont grumbled. More blood squired out of his smashed flesh. "Why can't you just listen carefully to what I say?"

"S-Sorry." Shifty murmured.

"I said, shoot me." Splendont commanded. "Right now!"

"B-But…why?"

"Because with these wounds, I'm not going to survive until tonight." Splendont explained. "You might as well shoot me right now. Go on, quickly do as I say."

Shifty nodded and pulled out his handgun. Tentatively, he fired at Splendont. The hero shut his eyes as the bullet punctured his heart, ceasing his life at once.

The room was frozen in silence. Shifty dropped the gun and goggled at Splendont's corpse. His hands were shaking. For some reason, he felt bad. He had…yet just shot one of the fiercest men in the town. And it was Splendont's request for death. Blood continued to saturate Splendont's clothes, trickling all the way down to the ground. The sight of his severely damaged body stung Shifty's heart. He had no clue how agonizing it was to be beaten this way. Apparently, like Splendid had said, he hadn't shown the redhead any mercy. He had applied all the lethal powers available to get rid of Splendont.

For once, Shifty felt confused. Lost. He didn't know what to do anymore. Millions of thoughts were swarming his head. He just…wanted his brother back!

_Nothing more. Nothing less._

* * *

Splendont pried open his eyes. He ran his hands over his chest. There was no blood or pain. He sat up, surprised that he was neatly dressed. His house was cleaned. All the blood he shed yesterday was gone.

"Is this…a dream?" He shook his slightly throbbing head and heard some footsteps. A moment later, someone popped out of the kitchen with a toast in his mouth.

"Er…" Immediately, Shifty backed away in fear. "S-Sorry, I…I'm too hungry so I borrowed your stove to cook something for myself."

"Did you clean the house?" Splendont asked, his eyes scanning over the floor.

"Yea." Shifty said. "Man, you were bleeding nonstop. Your blood almost flooded the house."

"Thanks."

Shifty widened his eyes, hardly believing his ears. It was almost impossible to hear Splendont thank someone.

"Well?" Splendont tramped towards the kitchen and raised his brows. "You had pretty much fun messing with my kitchen, huh?"

"I'll tidy this up." Shifty said. "Later."

"You had better do so." Splendont opened the fridge and grabbed a carton of milk. The duel he had had with Splendid still remained crystal clear in his head. He had never seen Splendid fight with his whole heart before. In the past, he would never go as far as to kill him. They had been provoking each other for years but their battle was never enough to kill either one of them, mostly because they would always control themselves to some degree. This time though, Splendid had clearly crossed his border, not even caring if his brother died or not. His expression showed nothing but pure hatred. He hated Splendont. He had now regarded him as his enemy more than his brother.

The redhead was so angry that he gave the bottle a forceful squeeze, causing the milk to splash out. Shifty glanced at him, flabbergasted.

"I don't understand it!" Splendont said. "How can he love your brother? It just…doesn't sound right."

"Do you think I like it this way?" Shifty said. "I also don't want my brother to fall in love with yours."

"He's totally out of his mind."

"He must have gone berserk."

"We must separate them."

"For good."

The two boys blinked at each other, both with growing determination to screw their twins' relationships. They couldn't succumb to the fact that their other half was basically stolen by someone they loathed. The feeling of betrayal and insult was far too much to endure. So much that they decided to take down their own sibling at any cost.

Shifty lay down leisurely on the couch, hands under his head. He was about to take a nap when Splendont interrupted him. He glared at the thief with a puzzled look.

"Why the heck are you sleeping on my couch?"

Without hesitation, Splendont snatched Shifty's hand and pulled him down to the ground.

"Get out of my house." Splendont demanded, pointing to the door.

"Damn it, can't you just let me take a short nap? I'll be going afterwards."

"No, leave now."

"But I don't have a place to go."

"What?" Splendont frowned.

"You see, ever since Lifty left me, I haven't been robbing and mugging for a while. I can't pay the rent."

"Then, go sleep in the street, moron." Splendont yelled. "Don't fucking think I'll offer you accommodation just because you're now my servant!"

"B-But shouldn't I stay near my master, in that case?" Shifty snickered. "You're responsible for my food and shelter."

"No." Splendont declined. "Get your ass out of my house. I'll call you when I need you."

"Screw you. I was the one who shot you and ended your pain yesterday." Shifty snapped.

"So?" Splendont shrugged. "Get out before I kick your ass."

"Fine."

Shifty stormed out of the house in despair. It's not that he really wanted to stay either. He just happened not to have anywhere else to go. He was penniless. He couldn't even afford a can of coke. As he stood outside Splendont's house, it began to rain.

"Oh crap." Shifty sighed. "Luck just isn't in my way."

He didn't want to walk in the rain so he turned around the corner and squatted down near the backyard. Things were getting really complicated. He wasn't even sure if he could deal with the trauma anymore. The thought of losing his brother still tormented him. In all his life, he had never thought Lifty would have run off with Splendid. He remembered in school days, Splendid was always the one who punished them for breaking school regulations. The twins abominated the bluenette right from the start. How could Lifty end up feeling for him?

Exhaustedly, Shifty lay down on the ground. He watched the rain continue pouring down from the grey sky, getting heavier and heavier. The freezing weather made him shiver. He could nearly breathe ice. If only someone could help him at the moment, he would be beyond grateful. He needed some shelter. Some warm food. He wanted Lifty beside him. His brother always knew how to reassure him despite their imperfect relationship. At times, Shifty missed his twin. He had no one to blame though. He was the underlying reason of Lifty's changes. If on that particular day, he hadn't ditched Lifty during their heist, none of these events would have occurred. The two would still be living together, happily carrying out their misdeeds every day.

Nonetheless, Lifty had changed. He had transformed into someone Shifty no longer recognized. When he saw him cry over Splendid's injuries, it hurt him, though he couldn't fathom why. He just…felt awful and somehow betrayed. Perhaps, after all, the only person he wanted Lifty to ever cry for was himself…But again, who was he to say Lifty belonged to him only? He had long lost the qualification to be his twin. To start off, he wasn't a responsible brother. He had never taken genuine care of Lifty. All he had ever done was keep teasing and abusing him as if he was his servant, backstabbing him and breaking his heart over and over again. Even an average man has his own limits of tolerance and Shifty's attitudes had long went over the edge. Now that Lifty had found someone who loved him dearly, it would only sound natural he didn't want to let go. He wouldn't want to go back with Shifty and restore his old crappy life.

Shifty lay on the floor inertly, barely nictitating. The coldness was suffocating him. He wondered if he would pass out soon.

"Hey." A hoarse voice cooed.

Reflexively, Shifty turned his head to face Splendont. He was standing above him.

"S-Sorry. I'll leave now." Shifty stood up in fright but before he walked into the rain, Splendont clutched his elbow.

"Ugh, you look like a zombie." The redhead said. "Come on in."

Obediently, Shifty followed Splendont into the house. He had no idea why the hero would change his mind and let him in. On top of all, he doubted if he should thank him.

"Well, you made your point." Splendont said as he walked into the kitchen to pour a cup of warm coffee. "I need you to do things for me so I can't let you get sick. Not now."

"Wow…" Shifty smiled ironically. "That's like the kindest thing I've ever heard from you."

Splendont shot his enemy a menacing stare.

"Don't you say it."

Shifty kept quiet and took the couch, finally able to sleep in peace.


	4. Heart of Stone

***A/N* Hey... I got really sick lately so I haven't been able to update as much. It's simply awful to get ill during a trip. Anyway, here's chapter 4. Hope you enjoy :)**

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Shifty pried open his eyes and gasped. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead as he stared blankly at the pitch-dark surrounding. It took him a moment to remember that he was lying on the couch in Splendont's house. He took a glimpse of the clock. One Thirty.

"Damn…" He panted. He hadn't had a nightmare for some time, not since a year ago or so. He just wasn't in the right mood to combat with whatever he had dreamed of. He thought he had gotten over it but he…hadn't. Staying in Splendont's house simply made things worse. Everything was lain bare in sight. All those unforgettable memories. All those inevitable events. The ultimate reason why their life should have never crossed.

"Ah…I'm so fucked up." Shifty grunted, plopping back onto the couch. His heart ached whenever he recalled that particular face, an image he abhorred more than anything else in the world. It seemed that destiny never failed to bring him endless adversity. When he had thought everything was settled after he left the school, the two heroes came back hunting him down. First, Splendid got his brother. Now, he was constantly tortured by this redhead, someone whom he had even once regarded as his friend and lover.

He could never forget how he met Splendont. At that time, he and Lifty were already two infamous delinquents at school. They were frequently chased down by the council president who just happened to be Splendid. Despite their misdeeds, the kleptomaniac twins always got away easily and even turned back against Splendid, insulting him by all creative means. Once, the older twin got into a fight with some gangsters so badly that he could almost foresee his doom. On the brink of his death, he was actually saved by this special person. And that began their infinite loop of suffering.

_Shifty crawled over to the wall, huffing. He had his hands on the lesion around his stomach. A guy had just stabbed him with a cutter, twisting the handle several times before a huge gash sliced open Shifty's abdomen. It was one against ten. A completely unfair fight to be sure. Still, the greenette managed to survive, though severely injured. The leader wielded the knife again, charging at the dying teen. When Shifty thought the blade would penetrate his chest this time, a flash of glowing red light swished by, fatally wounding the gangsters. Hazily, Shifty's eyes flickered to a boy with crimson hair, standing above him. Immediately, he recognized his uniform, knowing he must be one of his schoolmates. His appearance looked awfully familiar. It didn't take Shifty a second to realize he must have a relation to Splendid, for he almost shared an identical exterior with that bluenette. It's only his hair, eyes and attires that marked a significant difference in color._

_"Hey." The redhead pranced towards Shifty. He seemed to have no clue the person he was saving was Splendid's greatest nemesis. Barely capable of giving a response, Shifty hoisted himself up a little. His savior reached out and grabbed his arms._

_"Are you okay?" He asked._

_"Do I look okay?" Shifty smirked, wiping off a smudge of blood on his mouth._

_"I'll get you to the infirmary." The redhead said, scooping Shifty up. With one leap, they bounced off the ground._

_"Gosh…" Shifty stared at the boy in trepidation. "A-Are you…Splendid's brother?"_

_"Yes, I'm Splendont." The boy replied solemnly. "How did you know?"_

_"Well…you fly."_

_"Oh yea." Splendont laughed. "And your name?_

_"S-Shifty…" Shifty wondered if he knew whom he was holding up in the sky. Shouldn't he know his own brother's enemy? Instead of punching the shit out of him, he actually saved him instead._

_"Ugh, are you the older one or the younger one?" Splendont asked. Obviously, he was well aware of Shifty's tarnished reputation. He had always spotted the kleptomaniac twins at school but never really got the opportunity to approach them. Splendont must admit he had a fabulous time watching the two mischievous boys taunting his own brother. Unlike Splendid, he wasn't a model student whatsoever. He had his own way of getting at his twin. Still, witnessing others' evil pranks pleasured him. At one point, he decided he might as well get acquainted with these naughty twins. Perhaps he could make them his allies. _

_"The older one." Shifty answered._

_"Okay, I'll remember that." Splendont smiled. "I mean, I'll remember your fedora."_

_The redhead brought Shifty to the infirmary to treat his wounds. The young thief still couldn't understand why he had saved him. Before Splendont turned around and headed to the door, he sputtered. "Wait."_

_"Yes?" Splendont cocked his brows curiously._

_"Why…er…Why did you save me?"_

_"Isn't it explicit?" Splendont sneered. "I want to be your friend."_

_Shifty widened his eyes in disbelief. _

_"Are you his spy or what?" He asked skeptically._

_"Hey, I don't work for my brother." Splendont asserted. "He's an idiot. I'm just interested in your tricks. They somehow entertain me. A lot."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yea." Splendont chuckled. "See you around, Shifty."_

_With that, the redhead flew off again._

_And it was their first encounter._

* * *

"What're you doing?"

A gruff voice snapped Shifty back to reality. He nearly dropped the glass. He was trying to clear his thoughts with some coffee. Never had he expected Splendont to wake up in the middle of the night.

"I…just…"

"Did I say you can use my kitchen?" Splendont yelped, startling the poor thief. He floundered backwards, his hips hitting the edge of table.

"Answer me!" The cranky redhead shrieked, causing Shifty's heart to lose a beat. He hated being scolded, especially by Splendont. His words always got through his heart, stuffing him with so much soreness.

"N-No…" Shifty stuttered, gingerly putting the glass back to its original position. "I-I'm sorry."

He had been apologizing to him countless times. He felt degraded but there was nothing he could do to change the fact that he was now his slave. He had to do as instructed. He had to comply with his request until Lifty returned to his side. He wondered how long it would take to finally resolve everything. Such humiliation was beginning to kill him, in an utterly slow and painful manner.

"Let me tell you, shitface." Splendont wrapped his hand around Shifty's throat, banging him against the wall. "I offer you the shelter but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want at my place. You do remember you're my lackey, right?"

"Y-Yes…" Shifty looked away and gulped.

"Good." Splendont loosened his grip and left the room.

Shifty squatted down in one corner, the tranquility and darkness slowly wiping out his senses. There was a part of him that wished to cry out loud. The other part though, was restrained due to fear. He could only hear the clock tick. Every now and then, the sound was mixed with his quiet sniveling noise that only echoed in the kitchen.

If he thought Splendont couldn't hear it, he was wrong. The redhead stood expressionlessly in the corridor. He knew he had yet succeeded in harrowing the thief, plunging him into another emotional breakdown. As he heard him whine, he could only glance ahead with his deadpan eyes.

"He deserves it anyway." He kept reminding himself what he did was merely a minor punishment to Shifty. He could have acted even more brutal if necessary. He wanted him to know how much he despised him.

* * *

_"Hey, where's your brother?" _

_Shifty perked up. His heart thumped rapidly when he saw Splendont. _

_"Um…Splendid got him." Shifty said indifferently, chewing his bacon and eggs sandwich._

_"Did you steal all these?" Splendont asked, eyeing the snacks surrounding Shifty. The young thief quickly packed his loot back into his bag and strayed farther away from the redhead._

_"Don't worry, I'm not going to tell on you." _

_Casually, the redhead sat down beside Shifty with an enigmatic smile. Gawking at Splendont's eerie grin, Shifty wanted so much to flee but his legs were frozen on the spot._

_"Well?" Splendont spoke again. "What did Lifty do?"_

_"Hmm…" Shifty mused. "He broke Giggles' locker and called her a slut."_

_"Isn't she?" Splendont snickered._

_"Um…probably." Shifty kept his eyes fixated on his food, feeling awkward with Splendont's presence._

_"Look." Splendont leaned closer to Shifty. "You don't have to be scared around me. I'm not Splendid. And I'm most definitely not on his side either."_

_Shifty swallowed his last bite and took a sip of the cream soda. He gazed back at the redhead, rather confounded by his speech. His mind struggled to decide whether to believe him or not. Splendont, nonetheless, looked serious enough. He was waiting patiently for Shifty's reply with those shimmering eyes of his. The two charming, gorgeous orbs completely captivated the delinquent, leaving him no choice but to submit to the redhead._

_"Okay." Shifty answered, still examining every single feature of Splendont's face. The hero could have befriended someone else. It baffled Shifty even more to wonder why he would pick him._

_"You're cute." _

_Those words struck Shifty with grave impacts. It's only then he realized he was actually blushing while looking at Splendont's face. The hero, indeed, noticed the color on his cheeks. It was almost as red as his hair._

_"Anyway, just to let you know, I hate my brother." Splendont said, hugging his knees. "So, we're more like rivals than siblings."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because we always argue." The redhead said. "He's hot-blooded. I'm stoic. We're pretty much opposite, unlike you and Lifty. You two seem to get along well, right?"_

_"We have to." Shifty tittered. "He's the only family I've got."_

_"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."_

_"It's fine." Shifty yawned and lay down leisurely, staring up at the sky. "It's been so long since our parents left us that I don't really feel anything now. Did you say Splendid is hot-blooded?"_

_"Yea." Splendont laughed. "He might not look it but he's the kind that will secretly cry like a wimp."_

_"Really?" Shifty widened his eyes, amazed. "That sounds like Lifty to me."_

_"So your brother is also pretty soft, eh?"_

_"Yea, that's him." Shifty nodded and giggled. "What about you? What do you want from me?"_

_Splendont tilted his head and ogled the male lying beside him. Shifty slipped his bag under his head and made a comfortable pose. He shut his eyes but a faint smile remained on his face. _

_"I just want to hang out with you guys." Splendont muttered._

_Still unconvinced, Shifty found no reason why the redhead had to befriend them when he had a lot better choice. He could sense Splendont's stare on him but he kept his eyes closed tightly. Some company would be nice, Shifty reckoned. As long as Splendont wasn't in the same league as Splendid, he could accept him as his buddy._

_"Alright." Shifty smiled. "Suit yourself. I'm going to take a nap. Wanna join me?"_

_"Don't you have afternoon classes?"_

_"Yea, but we can skip them, right?" Shifty sniggered._

_"Why not?" Splendont grinned and lay down next to Shfity._

_The two didn't really get to sleep because they droned on for the rest of the day. They shared their own problems with their twins and for the first time, Shifty learned of the conflict between the two heroes. They didn't battle with each other solely for fun but for the purpose of proving which one of them was more superior. The winner would be the one truly qualified to take over the entire title of a 'superhero'. And the ultimate cause of their never-ending fights turned out to be their parents. Constantly attempting to live up to their parent's expectation and to show who was a better child, the two polar opposite heroes seized every opportunity to screw each other's life. It became more obvious that Splendont wanted Shifty to be his ally. The thief wasn't at all against the idea for he deemed he would need a protector as well. He figured Splendont would be an ideal partner in crime, considering how he could take his superpowers for granted. Still, this didn't give him the sufficient reason to hang out with Splendont. On top of all, they felt somewhat connected by an implausible mutuality._

* * *

The night was cold. So cold that Shifty could almost feel his heart freeze. A stack of snow piled up outside the house. Rubbing his own hands, he paced restlessly in the living room. He would be fine if there was a heater but without even a blanket, he couldn't possibly sleep. He snuggled up on the couch. There was no point of seeking help from Splendont because he knew he would only get slapped, or punched or worse…killed. It didn't bother him as much as it had in the beginning. Shifty had got accustomed to the pain Splendont inflicted on him. Being enslaved, whipped and insulted had become his daily routine. It would go on until Splendont finally decided to dismiss him. It wouldn't end until Splendid and Lifty broke up. Perhaps it was karma. When Shifty thought of it, he seemed to have been maltreating Lifty for so many years. The way he treated his own brother as nothing more than a servant sort of explained his current suffering. He was, as Shifty reminded himself, merely undergoing all the pain Lifty had endured when all he had always done to his brother was betraying and taking advantages of him.

Some time later, when Shifty could no longer stand the chilliness, he scrambled upstairs. Cautiously, he tiptoed along the corridor, hoping to find a spare room to sleep in. As he strolled past Splendont's room, the redhead was fast asleep. Shifty halted and ogled the male in bed. His face without a mask on…It reminded him of something that had once happened.

* * *

_Shifty juggled a few purses he had stolen in the morning. He stopped in the playground to meet up with Splendont. The duo often hung out under the shades of this gigantic cherry tree near the back of the school building. The place was usually vacant, almost perfect for spending a carefree afternoon ditching classes. It didn't take Shifty long to find the redhead sitting under the tree and burying his entire face in his hands. Bemused, the young thief strutted towards his companion, still toying with his loot._

_"Yo, Splendont." He greeted. The redhead twitched a little and looked up. Shifty squinted, taken aback by the face he saw. For one moment, he even doubted if it was Splendont. The person in front of him looked nothing more than a dazzling beauty._

_"Who the hell are you?" Shifty asked._

_"Huh?" Splendont frowned, trying hard to comprehend Shifty's utterance._

_"Shoot." Shifty waved his hands in the air. "This place is for me and Splendont only. Go."_

_"What're you talking about?" The redhead rolled his eyes. "I'm Splendont!"_

_"What?" Shifty exclaimed, struck by more shock than ever. He had never pictured Splendont without a mask would be so…girlish. If it wasn't for his raspy voice, he could have been readily mistaken for a girl._

_"What happened to your blue band?" Shifty asked, sitting down beside his buddy._

_"I lost it during my fight with Splendid." Splendont pouted. "Ugh, I can't go out and see people like this…I guess…you know what I mean, right?"_

_"Yea." Shifty sniggered, giving Splendont a teasing nudge. "You look like a girl."_

_"Hey, shut up." Splendont snorted and looked away, though he could not deny he was blushing at the sarcastic compliment._

_"I've got an idea." Shifty said, giggling slyly. He proceeded to rummage through his backpack, finally pulling out a pair of sunglasses. "Why don't you try these shades? I keep them when I go mugging."_

_"Wow…" Splendont smiled merrily at his friend's offer. "These will do. Thanks, Shift." He snatched the sunglasses from Shifty and put them all._

_"You look like Mr. Mole." Shifty said, making reference to the blind teacher at their school._

_"Damn it." Splendont cursed. "I probably look a hundred times more handsome than that old junk."_

_"Yea, right." Shifty chortled, knowing the redhead was ever so arrogant and narcissistic, just like his older twin._

_The two boys sat under the tree for what seemed like an eternity. Sometimes, they chattered. Sometimes, they simply enjoyed the silence. As time rolled on, they found each other more increasingly intriguing. Shifty was amazed by how different Splendont was from Splendid. Unlike the bluenette, the redhead was never bothered by Shifty's misbehavior. At times, he even broke several rules with him. As for Splendont, hanging out with a kleptomaniac was much more fun than he had previously predicted. Shifty never failed to invent creative, treacherous schemes. They two had a rather pleasant time exploring the realm of crimes which would only sound reasonable as the two were going through a somewhat rebellious age in adolescence. Splendont's incredible powers always came into handy. He did a marvelous job covering for Shifty. Their wrongs only proved to be another hassle to Splendid. Now, with his brother frequently tagging along with the delinquents, the council chairman found things more challenging to handle. Witnessing Splendid's frustration pleased the redhead. Pissing him off was his utmost intention. It was also the reason why he had made up his mind to turn the thieves into his allies. Yet, neither of Splendont and Shifty realized their innocent purpose of befriending each other in the first place would gradually grant them a profound friendship. Splendont soon became Shifty's sole company during his long, troublesome school days._

_"Shifty?" Splendont cringed when the young thug suddenly nestled his head against his shoulder, snoring in his relaxing afternoon nap. The redhead could have woken his friend or simply shoved him out of his way. For some reason though, he didn't actually bring himself to disturb Shifty's sleep. _

_"A hundred….no…a thousand…ugh…better a billion…!" Shifty gurgled, his head sinking down and landing right on Splendont's lap. "I…need….cash…"_

_The redhead laughed. He always had an entertaining time studying Shifty's greedy expression when he babbled in his sleep._

_"Tell you what, Shifty." Splendont bent down and whispered into the greenette's ears. "If you jump off the cliff, I'll give you a million."_

_"H-huh?" Shifty made a slight turn of his body, still keeping his eyes shut. Even in his dreams, he was able to catch Splendont's words._

_"Will you do that?" Splendont continued to taunt._

_"A…million…?" Shifty bit his lips, clinging closer to the redhead as he drooled in his sleep. "Y-Yes! I…want it…"_

_Splendont cackled at his friend's incurable greed, ruffling his hair at the same time. He wondered if he would really jump off the cliff when he woke up, knowing there might actually be a million dollars awaiting him in a bag._

* * *

"H-Huh?" Shifty woke up and stared straight into Splendont's eyes. The red hero was clutching his hair, lifting him up by force. The thief blurted out a painful groan and the next thing he knew, he was chucked to the ground sadistically.

"Who told you that you could sleep in a room?!" Splendont interrogated, striding towards Shifty.

The greenette could barely stand back onto his feet. Fear, once again, was closing in. He quivered, immediately regretting having intruded one of Splendont's rooms. He was just trying to warm himself up with a blanket. It was, after all, freezing down stairs.

"SPEAK!" Splendont roared, almost making Shifty jump.

"It…It's cold down there…" Shifty stuttered, shaking.

"So?" Splendont stopped in front of the greenette. "You can freeze to death there. I don't care. If I find you sneaking into one of my bedrooms again, I'll burn you with laser. That'll keep you warm, right?"

"O-Okay…" Shifty wobbled back to the door. The weather was cold but he knew well such coldness could hardly compare to Splendont's heart. Right now, he wanted nothing more than death for Shifty. If not death, he would spend a great deal of time attempting to afflict him bit by bit, until he could no longer take the pain and decide to defile his own master. Then, the redhead would accomplish his final will, dismissing him as his slave but not before he slaughtered him in the most heartless way.

Why…had things become so intense between them?

As Shifty limped downstairs, the only thing he could do was to swallow back his sobs.

It wasn't like this before. Not at all.

They had been friends. They had been allies. And now they were enemies.

The soreness of grief seeped through Shifty's heart, filling him with everlasting remorse and tears.

* * *

***A/N* Well...Tell me how sad it is. And yea, I pretty much want to screw these two xD But again, I'll feel sorry for them. Hope you find the flashbacks interesting because we're just getting started *grin evilly***


	5. Confrontations

***A/N* Hehee, another chapter. Be warned 'cause this sure as hell is going to hurt. And I did say I want to screw the two. Why? Lol, no idea but I do want their romance to be more intense than their brothers'. Is the suspense killing you already? OMG, I'm so evil. Anyway, read, enjoy & review :3 Be honest with me. You can give me some critiques as well :) **

* * *

**Shifty's POV**

A sudden hit of intense pain woke me. I was nuzzling in one damn corner in the living room when the bastard red hero, almost without any sort of warning, lunged towards me and clasped the back of my neck. The next thing I knew, despite still being half-asleep, he slammed my head against the wall just to snap me out of my dreams. The crunching sound when my head struck the wall completely quelled my groan. I could never tell why he had to abuse me in such an inhuman way. I was seething in anger. Tears welled up in my eyes but all that escaped my mouth were agonizing grunts. I growled and glared at him. His heartless, inscrutable eyes shimmered with menace. In that situation, I was convinced that if I blurted out the slightest objection, he would finish me off.

"Wake up, shitface." He commanded, standing so high above me as if he was a king or something.

_Oh yea, that reminds me. I'm his lackey. _

He had said earlier that I was to serve him until he dismissed me. In other words, I was merely his disposable toy. His human sandbag. His hopeless prey.

I gulped and tried to stare at him maliciously. I was not sure if he saw it that way. He probably sensed my grudge but that was what he wanted. He wanted us to detest each other to a point that we wouldn't hesitate to kill the other one. But the problem remained as I could never reach him, let alone killing him! He would always bring me to realize that he was much stronger. He would always be dominating and torturing me until I couldn't take any more of it and decided to leave this world by myself. As long as I still held that last breath with me, he would continue to make my life a living hell.

"Don't look at me with those disgusting, filthy eyes of yours."

Well, my disrespectful glance resulted in my punishment. He slapped me, so hard that I fell to the ground. My cheeks were burning, both from the pain he inflicted on me and from the tears that soaked my face. In all honesty, I had never been this humiliated before but I could tell more was coming from him. If I stayed here for another day or two, I seriously doubted if I could make it through the suffering.

_Oh why, Lift…why are you dating that dumbass hero!_

If my stubborn brother wasn't living with Splendid, I guessed I wouldn't have become an object for Splendont to vent his rage on. To make matters worse, we two had some finished business back from school times. This simply added up to his sentiments towards me.

"Listen up, pussy." I had come to notice his frequent habit of grabbing my tie and yanking me up as if I was a yo-yo toy or something. A wicked smile sprawled across his face as he enjoyed every tiny bit of my struggles he had envisioned.

_Damn, he's a hundred percentage sadist. _

"Today, I want you to find your fucking freak brother." He hissed. "Tell him to leave Splendid alone. Go back to his old crappy life. Don't fucking flatter my brother and rip him off of his fortune. He might be able to deceive others but not me. God knows what he's doing. He's just as cheeky as you. I know he isn't in love with Splendid. This happens a lot with my dumbass brother, with people coming after him for his wealth and everything. And he still thinks he's adored by his citizens. Ha, no one likes him except for the things he owes."

_Oh, Lift, is that true? You've found yourself another piece of great fortune. That's why you don't need me anymore? You don't fucking need your own brother anymore because you've found someone much better to cling to?! _

"Persuade him. Screw him. Confiscate him. Do whatever you can to keep him away from my damn stupid brother!" Splendont yelled, his voice nearly rupturing my ear drums. "Tell him Splendid doesn't need love, especially not one from some ghastly, repulsive, dirty pest. Oh, and you too. You're just as vile as your brother. You two had better get back together and rot in jail. Go steal something and give me an excuse to toss you out of this town."

Splendont released me, not before he gave me a harsh kick in the guts. Gosh, that kick nearly made my stomach explode. I could have thrown up but considering I hadn't had anything since the previous night, all that was coughed out of my mouth was blood. I panted, hugging my ruined stomach. It was burning like a fire! I wondered if some of my organs had been wrecked already. I wished I could have just died. Death would be a much better remedy.

"And if you shall fail, you know your consequences." He warned me one last time and left me writhing on the floor.

I could barely stand up after several minutes. I gripped the rim of the table and supported myself up. Before I could even ask for clarification, he had long gone. I wobbled like a cripple towards the door and left the house.

Right, I had got an imperative mission. I had to fetch Lifty home or else even I couldn't imagine what predicament Splendont would have in store for me. As I limped down the road, my mind was completely clouded by the thought of failing the task. I was scared. Really scared. For once in my lifetime, I felt so…vulnerable. It wasn't the kind of fear you have when you foresee the possibility of getting caught in a heist. It was something far more deadly… And this time, what bugged me was the fact that I was alone in all situations. I had lost Lifty. He wasn't there to sacrifice for me. That would mean I was doomed in one way or another. Splendont would have his revenge on me.

_Finally, after all these years, he's still awfully conscious of what happened in high school. He's avenging himself by destroying the existence he loathes most in this world which is ME._

I spotted Lifty in the grocery store. I supposed he was still working there as a salesman. I entered the shop but the first person who greeted me wasn't my brother.

"H-Hi…Shifty, how may I assist you?" I turned to face this small redhead in front of me. She was so petite and delicate that she looked almost pathetic. I remembered teasing her once or twice before. She was pretty fun to assault, actually.

"Lifty." I answered. My cheeks still throbbed in pain. Whenever I opened my mouth, my gums hurt. "I'm here to find him."

"O-Oh…" Flaky widened her eyes and nodded. "Just a moment please. But…But…y-you…oh my god! Y-You have b-blood on your face!"

Geez, this paranoid girl just wouldn't stop making a fuss. I rolled my eyes and wiped off the remaining blood stains on my mouth.

"Go." I ordered impatiently. "Go get Lifty for me."

Flaky hurried away to notify Lifty that I was here. From her face, I could tell that she thought I had been in some kind of accidents which explained why I was bleeding.

A couple of seconds later, Lifty appeared before me, looking extremely concerned at my abrupt presence.

"Hi." I smiled.

"What's happened to you?" Was the first thing he said to me.

_Is he worried? Or does he simply not want me here?_

"Lift, can I have you for a while? We need to talk." I gurgled.

Lifty scowled and mulled it over for a long moment. He was ready to reject me when Flaky nudged him, stating that it would be alright for him to pop out because Petunia, the boss was absent.

"Fine." Lifty shrugged and led me out. We stopped around the corner of the store where there was a small alleyway for our conversation.

"What's up with you?" Lifty asked, pointing to the bruise on my face. "Did you trip or crash your car?"

"Are you worried?" I snickered.

"Knock it off. I'm only asking. I'm not worried about you."

Damn, that hurt a lot. When he said he didn't give a shit about me anymore, he had no idea how hard his words stabbed my heart. I knew I had always been a horrible brother. I had betrayed him for so many times that he no longer felt any need to trust me.

_Still…we are twins. Nothing can alter that fact even if he has tried to discard our blood relations._

"Look, Lift, as I told you before, I'm sorry for everything I've done to you." I sighed. "I haven't treated you well. And I'm always bossing around, asking you to do things you hate, taking you for granted. I'm sorry. Really sorry."

My brother blinked at me in shock. I could finally see something beyond that indifferent expression of his. He looked stunned at first, then perplexed, a bit dubious and soon his frowns broke down into a smile.

"Why, I said I've forgiven you already. You don't have to apologize again." He said.

"Yea, but I didn't say it clearly before." I said. "I swear I wouldn't do anything bad to you again, so please, would you come home with me? I miss you."

I gazed at him with sheer expectation in hopes that my subtle confessions could somehow move him. I wouldn't say they were enough to touch his heart but still…I wished he could see why I had come for him. I wanted him back. So damn bad. I wanted my brother back with me. I was guilty of what I did. Everything had got back on me, in fact. The way I was maltreated by Splendont was close to the way I used to abandon Lifty and kill him to save my life in our heist. All the hardship and anguish he had gone through was now embedded in my own life. I understood his pain all too well. I had been his greatest misery.

"I…"

_Please, Lift, say you'll come home with me. I really need you. If you say 'no', I'm going to die for sure. Please…_

That smile on his face faded away. Immediately, I knew his answer wouldn't appeal to me. I could almost hear the sound of my heart breaking. I tried my best to swallow my tears.

"Sorry, Shift, I can't. I really can't." Lifty said bitterly. "You might think this is a game but it's not. I truly love Splendid and so I'm not going to leave him. He's always been so lonely, so lost. I've found him in me. We were both so torn when we first met. He was the only one that could get through me and vice versa. Now that we're together, I can't simply ditch him because I want to return to my brother. As said, I'll always see you whenever possible but I really can't live with you now. I'm living with Splendid."

_What the fuck is he talking about? Finding himself in Splendid? How? Shouldn't he find himself in me instead? We're twins! We're identical! We are…_

And then, it hit me like an electric current. Lifty had been feeling torn because of me. I was the ultimate culprit of his angst. When he thought I would be there for him, I evaded him like a jerk. I left him with Splendid, the worst hero of all time. I left them to seek comfort in each other. I left them to fall in love with one another.

_It's none but all my fault…My entire fault…_

And he sincerely loved him. I could just tell from those glittering eyes identical to mine.

Splendont was wrong. Lifty wasn't after Splendid's fortune. And I knew that too because he's my brother. He wouldn't say he loves someone unless it's true. He wouldn't simply cry over a man just because he was injured.

_He loves him more than himself. More than me. He's found his true love. His true mate._

I ought to be glad for Lifty but for some reason, I couldn't stop whining. Somehow, I felt betrayed. Betrayed by my own brother.

_How dare he talk about love at times like this? How dare he find a partner before I do? _

"Shift?" Lifty cooed anxiously. Surely, he had never seen me whimpering like a child. I felt weak. Very weak. I couldn't retrieve my twin. I had to fail Splendont.

"It's okay." I forced myself to giggle. I gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "Damn romance you have. It makes me cry. Good for you, bro, to find someone you like. Anyway, I won't ask again. You two gotta live some dovey lovey life. Just, don't forget about me, Lift."

"I won't." Lifty grinned.

I had never seen him smile so brightly before.

_Yea, he has a lover and a brother. What can be more perfect than this?_

"Thanks, Shift." He leaned in and cuddled me tightly. "You're the best brother on earth!"

_If it's not a lie, I'll be really pleased. _

_For now though, I will offer all the blessings for him, before I can no longer do so…_

* * *

**Splendont's POV**

I didn't care how that idiot was going to do it but he had to get his brother away from mine. If he failed, I was going to make him suffer more than he had had so far.

_He might think I'm vengeful. But yea, I am. I don't care if he's hating me to bones right now. I need him to know the result of ever having messed around with me. And I still remember clearly what he has done to me back in high school._

"Fucking lowlife." I cussed as I stomped across the street looking for my brother.

I barged into his working place. His boss, Lumpy was exasperated because I broke the elevator.

"Oh, shut up!" I howled, burning him with my laser eyes. Everyone except Splendid shrieked and started getting evacuated as quickly as they could. I smirked and marched towards my shaken brother.

"What the heck is wrong with you?!" He stood up, tossing his glasses away and loosening his tie.

"Ready for a fight, huh?"

"Stop it. Why are you doing this?" Splendid roared.

_Great. I like it when he's angry. I'm the only person he can get angry at. That's my significance. If he stops fighting with me, that would mean he doesn't care about me anymore. Oh, and whose fault is it? None but Lifty's fault! How dare he daze him with love? How dare he deceive my brother? Unforgivable!_

"We need to talk, bro." I said monotonously and led him out of the company.

We stopped behind the building. He was folding his arms waiting for my speech. He looked irked. It's like he was no longer interested in me. He didn't even care to spare a minute of conversation with his own twin!

That fueled me with fury. I had no idea what that lowlife was stuffing into his head. Lifty must have been saying too many sweet words to Splendid making him completely losing his mind. So, my dumb brother actually thought he could get love from that thief? Ha, he must be crazy!

"Well?" Splendid shot me an annoyed glance.

"I'll only say this once, Splendid." I declared. "Get him out of your life."

"What? Are you ordering me?"

"Yes. You're risking your reputation by dating him. Not that you have much reputation to start with. You can't possibly think he loves you, huh?"

"Don't go fucking meddle in our relationship."

"No way am I not interfering. You're living with what? A parasite! He's only after what you owe! YOU KNOW THAT! People only get near us for our wealth! We don't need love! NO ONE LOVES US!"

"You're wrong, Splendont." Splendid shook his head. "He isn't after my fortune. In fact, he has never asked for anything expensive from me. It's actually me buying him everything because I love him. He's never flattered me like anyone else. He accepts me for whom I am. That's why I'm in love with him. I've found myself in him. And I'm not letting go of him regardless of your claims."

_Damn. I can't believe this. How can my brother leak out such a dreadful confession?_

"No, I don't trust him! You're wrong! You'll know what I mean, Splendid! You will know it when he gets all he wants from you and starts double-crossing you! That's how it will end. You'll be used! Dumped! Mocked! You will…"

"Stop applying your own experience to mine!" Splendid bellowed, clutching both of my fists. "Splendont, listen to me, get over what's happened between you and Shifty! Please, you can't judge Lifty based on Shifty. He isn't like his brother. I'm not like you either."

"Shut up!" I cried, swinging his hands off mine. "Don't tell me what to do! You have no right to do so! You never helped me when it occurred to me! YOU NEVER! And now you're saying that you love Lifty. That bastard's brother! HELL NO! I won't approve of it! I won't accept it! I'll separate you two! I WILL-"

"You can't because Lifty and I love each other!" Splendid argued. "We won't end up the way you and Shifty did. We didn't start this as a game! We are truthfully after one another. It's not like one of those reckless games you had with Shifty in high school."

When I heard the word 'game', I basically lost my temper. Splendid couldn't blame me for shoving him against the wall and breaking his elbows. My blast came unpredicted. He wasn't able to defend himself at all. I left him moaning in agony after nearly punching the guts out of him. He didn't retaliate…which was strange.

Just why wouldn't he fight me?!

Ever since he had started going out with Lifty, he stopped battling with me! WHY?! WHY?!

Why didn't he want me anymore?

"Fight me, Spencer…" I sniveled. "Why wouldn't you lift your fist and charge at me…"

"I can't." My brother murmured. With much difficulty, he sat up and glowered at me.

_Gosh, those cold, bloody eyes hurt me like hell! Why is he looking at me as if he has nothing to do with me anymore? Am I not his brother now? Just because he's found someone else to love, he doesn't need me? _

"Shayne…"

I shivered when he called my real name. I tumbled backwards in fright.

"I can't fight you anymore because I'm in love." Splendid replied. "Unless it's for Lifty, I won't fight for anyone's sake. Not even mine."

"What?" I exclaimed.

_Bullshit. Rubbish. How can he even think of fighting only for that jerk? It sounds all wrong. So irrational._

"So…I won't fight with you for fun again." Splendid stood up, brushing off the blood that spurted out from his wounds as if it was nothing. "But I swear, if you lay a finger on Lifty like you tried to attack us on the street last time, I will kill you. Even if you're my brother, I'll kill you."

_I can't believe it! My own brother is officially turning against me because of an outsider. What the fuck?_

"You heard me. Don't fucking go on random rampage again." He said. "Killing the innocents won't fix anything. If you want to feel better, you should sort things out with your **ex-boyfriend**."

"He's not my ex-boyfriend!" I bawled.

"Fine. The reason why you're like this is because of Shifty, right?"

I froze. Damn it. The sound of his name was enough to get on my nerves. I needed an outburst. I needed to fire at something.

I punched the wall so hard that it almost crumbled down in a flash. Splendid gasped. He loomed towards me and took me into his arms.

"Sorry, bro, I didn't mean to…bring this up again." He sighed, hugging me tightly. "I just think…you two really need to resolve what you've caused. You can't live on forever without acknowledging your own problems. That's what Lifty's taught me. You've got to face your past and get it over with."

"No…" I declined. There was no way I was going to let it go. Right at this instant, I yearned to smash that guy who had eternally scarred my life and turned it into broken shreds. I would have him pay for what he had done to me.

"You don't understand." I said, pushing Splendid away. "You're right. We aren't alike. I can't get over something and pretend it's never happened at all! I don't have that talent. Happy now, aren't you?"

"Splendont, you can't do this to yourself." He said sternly. "And you can't torture Shifty either! He's done nothing wrong. No one can be at fault in love."

"Nothing wrong?" I laughed hysterically, though my tears continued cascading down my cheeks. "You could shrug it off like that? Wow…I can't, bro! Maybe you can stand your partner but I can't even bear a single second looking at that shitface. Whatever he says and does pisses me off. I've come to like his begging, in fact. I'll hurt him until he pleads for death. And I'll bring him back to life and start it all over again. That will do. That'll cease this pain he's given me three years ago. Haha!"

With that, I flew off. I heard Splendid shout after me but I didn't stop. I didn't want to listen to any more of his lecture! He had no right to change my mind! No one had. Nobody understood my sadness. Nobody understood how it felt to be giving out your entire heart only for it to be crumpled in the hands of someone you loved. My heart had long dried up from bleeding. I wouldn't show any mercy. No I wouldn't.

_I'm going to screw you, Shifty. So badly that you won't forget it for the rest of your hellish life! _


	6. Eyes of Daggers

***A/N* Well...I've been quite busy lately. So many assignments to rush and I'm going to an island with some friends today. So yea, sorry for the late update (It's not exactly that late, is it? Lol)Anyway, you've got to be prepared for this chapter 'cause it's simply offensive and... cruel and heartbreaking. Feel free to pity Shifty! Enjoy & Review :3**

* * *

The moment Splendont busted open the door ferociously, Shifty knew his death was coming. He looked up at the redhead. Words couldn't describe the fear he was combating with. Gritting his teeth, the short-tempered male darted towards Shifty and hoisted him up. The thief wasn't even allowed the time to scream when Splendont chucked him across the ground. He hopped on him and beat him hysterically. Angry growls and painful groans reverberated around the entire house. Blood sprinkled all over the floor as Splendont repeatedly whacked and blootered Shifty. The greenette didn't even think of fleeing. He was far too occupied by the instinctive thought of staying alive. He could only squirm and beg for a 'stop'. And yet, nothing he had expected from Splendont ever came true. He had no sympathy for him. Exterminating him was his greatest pleasure.

When the redhead finally grew tired of his sadistic game, he walked off and lolled down on the couch. He watched with a satisfied grin as his victim convulsed helplessly in a puddle of crimson liquid. The smell of his blood filled the room. The redhead was imbued with more contentment than ever.

"I see. You failed." Splendont piped up.

Shifty tried to say something but blood kept spewing out of his mouth. He stretched out his hand, seeking for help. Splendont chortled and bounced off from the couch. He trampled on Shifty's palm ruthlessly, causing the male to yelp in pain.

"I can't believe you would fail to achieve such a simple task." Splendont said. "You're really a piece of junk."

"P-Please…stop it…" Shifty stuttered.

"Keep beseeching me for mercy, eh? That won't help." Splendont squatted down to examine his slave's tear-drenched face. "How do you like this? I warned you, didn't I? You failed and you got your consequences."

"I…" Shifty choked on his blood, whining.

"What?"

"L-Let…t-them be…" The thief cooed, finding difficulty to keep his eye lids open. "T-They love each other…Just let them be…"

"Shut up!" Splendont squawked and gave Shifty a detrimental thump on the chest which was sufficient to break his rib cages and knock him unconscious.

It was only after a while that Splendont noticed he had conked out. When he earned no more response from Shifty, he started prodding and shaking him. The boy didn't open his eyes again.

"I haven't finished my talk!" Splendont grumbled.

Still, there was no movement from Shifty.

He was dead.

"Well then, I guess I'll leave you until tomorrow, shitface." Splendont stood up and wandered off.

When Shifty woke up, he was in a bed. Still feeling woozy, he sat up clumsily. All his wounds were gone but the scars remained. He looked around Splendont's room briefly and sighed. It didn't take him long to figure out he had been killed by Splendont. _Again._

He kept questioning himself why Splendont had to be so brutal to him. Undoubtedly, he knew the answer. He hated him. That's why. He wished he could have disappeared from this world. And Shifty had only himself to blame for this whole mess between them. As he flumped back into bed, he began to snooze again.

* * *

_"Seriously, you should try it with Nutty. It's actually better than wanking by yourself!" Cuddles' laughs __boomed in the changing room._

_The blonde was putting on his yellow hoodie with bunny ears. He was luring the blue-haired nerd beside him to speak. Sniffles shot him a cynical glance and stayed silent._

_"You do jerk off in your spare time, don't you?" Cuddles sneered, nudging Sniffles. "I bet you aren't into work all the time, eh? Someone like you really needs to relax a bit."_

_"Oh shut up." Sniffles rolled his eyes, pulling down his gym pants and getting dressed into his usual uniform. _

_The class had finished their gym and at that very moment, two older teens entered the room. Cuddles, unaware of Shifty's and Splendont's presence, continued chattering with Sniffles._

_"How did you do that?" Sniffles asked._

_"Oh, by accident, in fact." Cuddles shrugged casually. "We were watching this special porn we got from Truffles and a crazy idea just came across our mind. That is- why don't we try helping each other masturbate. It's actually quite fun and we got to compare our sizes and all."_

_"Gross!" Sniffles said. "That's disgusting."_

_"Hey, do you call yourself disgusting when you play with yourself?" Cuddles rebutted. "Trust me, it feels nothing like doing it on your own. When someone is there to help you, it's just different. Oh and, you know what? We didn't know we would actually hit it off! I mean, damn it, we're both straight! But that doesn't matter. It's not that easy to find a female sex partner. Sometimes, girls are even too dumb to know your needs. That's different with boys though. We both know clearly what we want. You can always do it with your bestie. Haha!"_

_"Nah, your idea is outrageous." The nerd pouted._

_"You're just shy, aren't you? Try asking Nutty. I think he'll do it for you." Cuddles giggled. "Especially when he's such an expert in licking lollipop, haha!"_

_"Errr, enough. I'm not like you, pervert."_

_"Yo, it's not about being perverted." Cuddles said, frustrated. "It's about making love with your best mate. It's a mutual need, okay? Not to mention that Toothy is actually better in bed than Giggles."_

_"And you think it's appropriate?" Sniffles cocked his brows. "You're doing this behind Giggles' back."_

_"So? She's my girlfriend. He's my best friend. It's different. Just different."_

_The two boys continued debating for some time. Cuddles seemed to have no issue of maintaining sexual relationships with both his girlfriend and his best friend. Sniffles, though, was far too moral to agree with him. When the bell rang, the two finally stopped arguing and jogged out of the changing room._

_"Wow…I can never tell he's that sort of person." Shifty chuckled._

_After staying mute for the past ten minutes in order not to be discovered, the two stealthy males burst into laughter._

_"Oh crap, Cuddles actually thought he could persuade Sniffles!" Splendont cackled. "Damn, I've always thought someone like them had no idea what masturbation is."_

_"Urgh, these young fellows are dirtier than I thought." Shifty said. Sleazily, he opened his own locker and pulled out a stack of uniforms. Not even caring if Splendont was watching, he took off his gym jacket._

_"Hey Shift, do you jack off by yourself too?" The redhead smirked._

_Shifty widened his eyes and stared at Splendont. _

_"Why the hell are you asking me that?"_

_"Nothing. Just curious." Splendont tittered. _

_"Geez, I'm sure you do it more often than I do." Shifty taunted._

_"What?"_

_"You get hard just by watching the ladies, don't you?"_

_"Liar! You're lying!" Splendont retorted instantly. "I never watch the ladies! ERR…"_

_"Just kidding." Shifty laughed. The redhead attempted to punch him but missed it. Shifty dodged from Splendont's attack only to trip over his own sneakers. As he fell, he gripped Splendont's sleeves. Caught off guard, the redhead lost his own balance and collapsed with Shifty. They hit the ground with a loud rumble. Shifty grunted at Splendont's weight as he landed on top of him. _

_"Sorry, Shift, are you alright?" Splendont asked, lifting himself up from Shifty's body._

_"Yea…" Shifty muttered, rubbing a lump on his bruised head._

_ He waited for Splendont to get off his body so that he, himself, could stand up. Yet, instead of leaving him, the redhead glanced at Shifty in an eerie way. As soon as he felt Splendont's peculiar stares, Shifty averted his gaze at his friend, looking confused at once._

_"W-What's wrong?" He asked._

_Splendont didn't answer. His eyes roved over Shifty's face. After a long awkward silence, Shifty couldn't take the embarrassment anymore so he decided to push Splendont off him. The redhead seized both of his wrists and pinned him down._

_"Wait, Shift, I was thinking…" Splendont said, flushing. The very same fiery blush appeared on Shifty's cheeks as the redhead bent over to whisper into his ears. "Do you want to give it a try? It sounds interesting, right?"_

_"W-What're you talking about?" Shifty frowned, his heart ramping at an incredible speed._

_"What Cuddles talked about earlier on." Splendont smiled. "Wanna try for ourselves?"_

_"What? You're joking, right? It's absurd." Shifty laughed but gulped when he saw Splendont's solemn look._

_"Actually, nope." Splendont said. "I've always wondered how big you are when you talk about those porn videos you've watched."_

_"Huh?"_

_Teasingly, Splendont straddled his buddy and ran his hands across his chest, tracing all the way down to his…_

_"Oh, stop it!" Shifty cried sheepishly when Splendont took hold of his crotch._

_"Why? You seem hard." Splendont mocked, making gesture towards his tented pants. Ignoring Shifty's objection, he stripped off his pants and boxers and started fiddling with his length._

_"Gosh, don't touch it!" Shifty said, sitting up. On one hand, he wanted so much for Spendont to stop twiddling his thing. On the other though, he couldn't deny it felt good the way his friend was appeasing him. Once the younger boy got turned on, his area sprang up. Amazed, Splendont started stroking it, making Shifty moan in pleasure. _

_"Not bad." The redhead simpered, tightening his grip around the organ._

_"Darn, don't squeeze it!" Shifty yelled._

_"Just testing." Splendont laughed and stopped stroking. Shifty scowled at the abrupt halt but his pleasure soon returned when Splendont started using his mouth. Every cautious lick sent him an unimaginable sensation. He had never felt this awesome before. When Splendont struggled to take his whole length into his mouth, Shifty arched his back and groaned. He was impressed by how Splendont was flooding him with ever more lust and burning desires. The way he choked on his discharges and guzzled them gave Shifty a sudden urge to press him down. Astonished, Splendont looked at the male above him quizzically._

_"Good, isn't it?" The redhead teased. Shifty had to admit the bop Splendont had given him was beyond marvelous. He hadn't felt so fulfilled in a while. Since he broke up with his ex-girlfriend, not a single masturbation could satiate him just enough._

_"Yea, very nice." Shifty purred. "My turn now."_

_The young thief strived to grant his friend the very same wonderful sensation he had received. He planted a soft kiss on Splendont, pecking at his lips passionately. The redhead muffled a moan as Shifty parted his lips and guided his tongue into his mouth. They only broke the kiss until both of them were close to suffocation. Still wheezing heavily, Shifty proceeded to nibble Splendont's neck and shoulder. He got rid of the redhead's shirt and admired his beautiful figure. Slowly, he undid his mask as well, gasping once again at his gorgeous appearance._

_"What?" The redhead asked._

_"Nothing…" Shifty smiled timidly. He didn't dare to say that he was attracted to his charisma. The redhead was by far the most glamorous creature he had ever encountered. He was perfect in all sense, except for the fact that he was a boy. If he were a girl, Shifty would have wooed him long ago. He wouldn't even have to wait until Splendont made his own initiative and challenge him for some silly topic Cuddles had been discussing with Sniffles._

_"You had better do it properly." Splendont taunted, his eyes sparkling with passion._

_"We'll see." Shifty answered and moved down to the bulge. He did the same thing Splendont had done to him. He bobbed his head up and down. He enjoyed every shameless moan that escaped from the redhead's mouth. When Splendont clasped his hair and pleaded for more, Shifty knew they were both getting close to crossing the line. What they did was wrong and yet they took the best of it. Splendont shuddered as he shot his loads right into Shifty's cavern. The greenette grinned slyly and swallowed down the fluid. _

_"T-That…was amazing." Splendont said, barely able to recover from the fantastic stupor Shifty had caused him. He was about to get up when his mate pinned him down again._

_"Eh?"_

_"Not yet." Shifty said, puffing. His eyes shimmered with lust as he leaned in to caress Splendont._

_"What do you want?" Splendont purred, succumbing to his tender embrace._

_"I want more." Shifty confessed. _

_The redhead blushed and looked away bashfully. "You pervert!"_

_"Can I?" Shifty smiled like a pampered kid begging desperately for something._

_"Urgh, fine." Splendont said._

_His answer surprised Shifty. At one point, he thought he would cut it off right away. Yet, Splendont's kinky expression convinced him otherwise._

_"Do it properly!" Splendont hissed, spreading out his arms to welcome Shifty for a hug. The male gleefully took the invitation. Neither of them had predicted that they would go beyond helping each other jerk off. It was as though everything Cuddles had said came true. The second Shifty rammed into Splendont, the redhead clenched his fists and yapped at the twinge._

_"S-Sorry…" Shifty apologized and started fondling Splendont to ease off his pain. When he nodded his head and motioned him to continue, Shifty pulled out nearly his entire length and shoved back into the red-haired teen. Splendont groaned as the intense ache stimulated all his nerves, driving him berserk. The roughness of Shifty's ragged movement almost tore him apart. However, the queer feeling he got every time Shifty hit his sensitive spot was adequate to soothe him. After a couple of irregular thrust, Shifty was able to manage the basic technique. He stopped grinding into Splendont erratically and picked up a more rhythmic pace which was proven effective as Splendont's unabashed moans echoed in the room. Shifty groped his thighs and wedged his length deeper into the redhead, pushing him over the edge. He struck his prostate repeatedly until they both reached their peak and came in their climax. _

_Panting in exhaustion, Shifty lay down beside Splendont, his mind half-occupied by their farfetched experience. As for the redhead, he was far too benumbed to utter any speech. In all his life, he had never thought he would get laid with a male. And it was practically a consensual sex. The numbness that spread all over his body dazed him. He turned his head floppily to face Shifty. The greenette smiled at him and petted his face. As he nestled his head against him, Shifty chirped. "I love you."_

_Those three words might have been said out of haziness but they were permanently engraved in Splendont's heart. He could never forget how he replied to Shifty saying. "I love you, too."_

* * *

Shifty woke up in heaps of sweat. He huffed and sat upright. His head throbbed from the prior dream that was ever so real. He couldn't believe he had had another dream of Splendont. Everything happened in a blink of an eye. It was more like an event from yesterday. And the image of Splendont's nude body lingered in his head.

It was then he noticed he had got an erection from the libidinous dream. Despaired, Shifty reached down to his pants and grabbed his crotch. He felt so ashamed of getting turned on by that guy after these years of immense self-control. It's not like he had overcome the tragedy either but he had always born in mind nothing could rewrite the fact that their relationship was broken. It had long been disrupted by their own mistakes. He wasn't as angry as Splendont though. It would sound logical because the redhead possessed an extremely vengeful soul. He could definitely remember every interaction, every conversation and every act they had had together.

"Jerking off on your own, huh?"

The sudden husky voice frightened Shifty. The poor thief almost jumped in fear and rolled out of bed.

"Oh, you don't have to stop because I'm here." Splendont said, looming towards the panicked boy. "Unless you want some help?"

"No, thanks…" Shifty shook his head vigorously, pulling his own hand out of his pants.

"Nope?" Splendont's mouth curved into a bloodthirsty smile. "Do you think you can even throw that word at me?"

"No…er…I mean…" Shifty cringed, his heart racing.

He was still pondering over how to free himself from this daunting atmosphere when Splendont suddenly hopped on him and clutched his rod.

"So, you dare do something like this in my house, eh?" Splendont squinted. "You do have some guts, don't you?"

"No…S-Sorry!" Shifty said, growing terrified of what Splendont might do to him. "I didn't mean to-"

Splendont shushed him and smiled. "Nah, it's perfectly alright. I'll get my slave what he needs."

Shifty froze, completely horrified. He couldn't even scream 'no' when Splendont started stroking his length. He couldn't believe his master had taken a brand new step into toying with him. Shifty dug his fingers into the mattress as Splendont gave him an unspeakably rough handjob.

When it was done, Shifty's heart skipped a beat. He saw his semen spray over the redhead's hands. Splendont lifted his brows and glared at the thief.

"I-I…I'm so sorry…" Shifty said, turning to the tissue box on the table next to the bed.

"Oh, don't bother with it." Splendont said, laughing a bit. "We aren't finished yet."

The last part of his utterance affrighted Shifty. He flinched immediately and crawled out of bed. Before he could get out in success, Splendont hauled him backwards and tossed him back onto the mattress.

"I've been thinking about getting my revenge on you for a while, Shift." Splendont said grimly. "Pity I never figured out the best way to do so. But now, you've given me a wonderful opportunity to screw you."

"No…" Shifty shook his head and wept. "Please, don't…do it…I'm sorry, Splendont. I'm sorry…"

"You know what, Shift? You do look adorable when you plead." Splendont laughed.

"Please! I beg you!"

"I like it when you lower you head before me, when you abandon all your dignity and swallow your pride, when you know that you can't do anything but submit yourself to me."

"Splendont, I…"

Shifty's mouth was shut when Splendont caught both of his wrists and kissed him viciously, nearly biting off his lips. Tears soon blurred Shifty's vision and he felt dizzy. When Splendont flipped him over so that he was bending down on all fours, he implored him to stop one last time. Nonetheless, his words were bounced off automatically as the heinous redhead entered him without any warning. Shifty screeched in agony. His wretched squeals didn't stop Splendont from slamming into him in the fiercest way. He was using his superpower to keep Shifty trapped underneath his grip. Besides waggling and squealing until he forfeited his voice, the thief couldn't do anything to avoid the hero's vulgar intrusion. He rocked back and forth, picking up a speed that completely went against Shifty's pleas. Every thrust came in a brutal manner and was enough to rip Shifty apart. When the greenette could shriek no more, he gave up struggling and let Splendont devour him like a predator would do to his prey. All that penetrated Shifty's ears was the heartbreaking sound as the hero's hips slapped against his. The experience was too horrendous to be sure. It was simply mortifying… When he felt the warm liquid that leaked out from the region Splendont was grabbling, he knew it was his own blood. Still, the sight of those red droplets didn't induce any conscience in Splendont. He continued bumping into the greenette untill he released his glop inside him. By then, Shifty could hardly move a muscle. Splendont left him trembling in bed, with the horrific aftermath haunting him.

The thief lay inanimately on the bed while the hero dressed himself. Even lifting a finger seemed impossible for Shifty now. Every joint of his body hurt. He could only jolt when Splendont lumbered closer to him with the evilest smile.

It was a smile of triumph. A smile of regaining his pride. A smile of having screwed Shifty in the most bestial way.

"Why…" Shifty stammered, tears rinsing his face.

"Why." Splendont goggled at him coldheartedly. "Because I hate you. I'll keep on screwing you until you decide to kill yourself. Oh, and I'll screw you even more if you do so. Ha."

With that, the redhead spun around and flew out of the room.

As for the thief, he could only replay his rapist's words in his head over and over again.

His mind was gradually subsumed by the ache. This pain wouldn't subside. These tears wouldn't stop. For once, he wished there was a time machine that could bring him back in time. He would then fix the sins he had committed and prevented every ordeal that had happened between him and Splendont.


	7. Ripped Souls

***A/N* As if the last chapter isn't emotional enough, this one is gonna hurt for sure. My philosophy stays the same - love hurts. It's such a poisonous thing that you can't possibly ignore the pain. Haha. On to chapter 7. Enjoy and tell me what you think :3 **

* * *

_Splendont checked his watch and grunted, wondering what could have taken Shifty so long to reach the usual spot where they hung out together. Piqued, he slumped against the cherry tree and kicked the ground. _

_A familiar voice caught his attention soon afterwards. Splendont looked up eagerly but frowned when he saw Shifty talking to a blue-haired girl._

_"Thanks for finding my flower clip, Shifty." Petunia, whom the bluenette was called, said._

_"Don't mention it." Shifty said, tugging his hands into his pockets. "Saw it on the stairs. Thought I might give it back to you."_

_"Thank you. I really appreciate that. It's actually my favorite hair clip." Petunia giggled. Shifty might not notice it but Splendont was able to see from this angle how the girl winked flirtatiously at the young thief._

_"Yea, see ya." Shifty snickered and turned around. The girl watched with slight disappointment as the green-haired boy scuttled away. She was clearly expecting more from him._

_Splendont raised his brows at Shifty as he sprinted towards him._

_"Sorry, I was-"_

_"Talking to the clean freak, huh?"_

_"Hey, how did you know?" Shifty tittered. "Were you spying on me?"_

_"Darn, I've got supersonic hearing. I heard your voice." Splendont pouted, crouching under the tree._

_Shifty laughed once he realized that Splendont was sulking. He sat down beside the redhead and leaned deliberately closer to him._

_"Knock it off." The redhead snorted when Shifty nudged his elbow._

_"Oh come on, you can't be mad because I'm late?"_

_"Geez, I told you I have important things to say and you only cared about flirting with girls!"_

_"I wasn't flirting with Petunia." Shifty defended, snuggling against his partner. "Say, you're just jealous, aren't you?"_

_"What?" Splendont blushed and looked away. "Why would I be?!"_

_"Pretentious, aren't you?" Shifty chortled, placing his palms on Splendont's aflame cheeks. "'Cause you said you love me."_

_"Urgh, shut up." Splendont lowered his head meekly, giving the greenette a better excuse to tease him. In a split second, he crushed his lips against Splendont's. The redhead blenched warily but didn't break the kiss. He couldn't stop indulging in Shifty's touch._

_"Well, what do you have to say?" Shifty grinned when they withdrew from the kiss._

_"Er…how cheeky. You always like stealing kisses from me, eh?" _

_"I'm a thief. There's nothing I can't steal." Shifty chuckled, nestling his head against Splendont's chest. "Should I give you back your heart or what?"_

_"Never mind." Splendont hugged him and laughed. "The thing I wanted to say is, Shift, I'm leaving school soon."_

_Shifty sat up again and gawked at Splendont. Oh yeah, now that he was reminded, Splendont was two years older than him. He was going to graduate in the next semester._

_"Um…how about you repeat a year of school?" Shifty mocked._

_"Dumbass." Splendont smacked him upside head impishly. "If I had those grades of yours, maybe I could repeat a year or two, haha."_

_"Ay, I ain't doing well in school because of you!" Shifty complained, hands on his hips. "It's because you always drag me out in the afternoon. I've been ditching classes for you!"_

_"Woah, don't frame me like that. Even without me here, you'll still sneak out to have siesta, right?" Splendont pinpointed. _

_"Fine. But you're the main reason why I often come here to sleep." Shifty said, causing the redhead to flush immensely._

_"You don't say!" Splendont gave Shifty a little pinch on the arm._

_"Ouch! What's that for?"_

_"Back to the topic, I'm leaving, so what are you gonna do?" Splendont asked._

_"What can I do?" Shifty asked naively. "Are you going to the college?"_

_"No."_

_"Why? You should be able to get into one."_

_"Nah, because Splendid isn't going into one." Splendont said. "I don't want to go to the university alone."_

_"Ah, you guys still do things together, huh?"_

_"Hey, if he's working and I'm studying, how am I supposed to get close to him? If I can't stay near him, I can't piss him off." Splendont argued._

_"Oh alright." Shifty laughed, laying his head on Splendont's lap. "Then, do whatever you want and be happy."_

_"I think so. But are you sure you can cope without me here?" The redhead asked worriedly. _

_"Sure, why not? You'll visit me often, right?"_

_"Well, Splendid won't be here to bug you anymore after graduation. But those gangsters…if they ever bother you and Lifty again, tell me, okay?"_

_"Yup." Shifty nodded, wrapping his arms around Splendont's waist. The redhead smirked and bent down to kiss his best friend once more._

* * *

The alarm went off, waking the sleeping male. Splendont opened his eyes and leapt out of bed. The dream swarmed his head but he quickly shrugged it off. He made his way out of his room and into the hallway. Half expecting to see Shifty still rendered in pain in another room, he was shocked to find him gone.

"Hey, shitface…" He gulped when he found the bed empty. The sheets were coated with their seeds and a trace of Shifty's blood was visible on the ground. The window was wide open and the sills were stained with bloody fingerprints.

"Shifty?" Splendont murmured and stomped towards the window. He looked out but caught no sight of the thief. He couldn't picture Shifty jumping out from the second floor. He could have perished.

"Shifty?" He raised his voice and scanned around. He barged into every single room of the house but still couldn't find his lackey. Getting vexed, he yelled out his name in an attempt to bring him out of wherever he was hiding. "Shifty! Come out or I'm going to kill you." Splendont shrieked. When he earned no response whatsoever, he was convinced that Shifty was gone. He had left the house without his consent. He had escaped without a sound.

"Stanley…" Splendont whispered. The sound of Shifty's real name resonated in his mind.

Why, he wondered, would he leave without his permission? He could only do what Splendont told him to. The redhead thought he had made this rule obvious to the thief when he first enslaved him.

Enraged, Splendont stormed out of the house in a rush.

* * *

_A month after Splendont's graduation, he came back looking for Shifty. As expected, he found his buddy lying under the cherry tree. He landed soundlessly, not wishing to wake him. Silently, the redhead lay down next to Shifty and watched him sleep. He was babbling in his sleep. Briskly, the older boy leaned in and kissed him. Immediately, Shifty woke up and glanced at his secret lover._

_"Pfft, Splendont? Is that you?" Shifty rubbed his half-opened eyes and fumbled._

_"Yea." Splendont answered._

_"Good heavens, it took you a month to come back, huh? And you didn't even answer my text!" Shifty grumbled._

_"Sorry, I was busy finding myself a new job." Splendont said. _

_"Oh, and what have you found?"_

_"Ugh, some crappy office job. That's because Splendid is working in the company next to mine." Splendont laughed._

_"Good…good for you." Shifty said. He didn't want to admit it but he felt rather left out knowing that Splendont had preceded him. He wished he could have left school with him and lived the very same life as him. They would be seeing each other more frequently and sharing the very same happiness or burden._

_"How are you?" Splendont inquired, planting a kiss on Shifty's forehead._

_"Can't be better without you." _

_"Ah, I'm here, aren't I?" Splendont chuckled and stretched Shifty's cheeks to make him smile. "Cheer up, Shift." _

_"Okay, okay." Finally, a grin was plastered on the greenette's face. Splendont smiled jubilantly at his trick. "I'll visit you as often as possible."_

_"You don't have to." Shifty lied. Deep down, he was actually craving to see him every day. "You have work to do, right? You should be pretty busy."_

_"Look, I don't go for random jobs. I always find one that I can take the most advantages of. I can always sneak out for some hours in the afternoon."_

_"Really?" Shifty sniggered._

_"Yea. Cool, isn't it?"_

_"Absolutely." _

_However, things didn't exactly turn out the way they predicted. Splendont was often occupied by his new life as an independent adult. He didn't spare much time to visit Shifty. The young thief got lonely at times and when he didn't feel like it, he even skipped school which he had never done before in Splendont's presence. When the redhead finally got to visit Shifty at school and found him gone, paranoia took the best of him. He began to suspect if their relationship was decaying. _

_One afternoon, he flew to their school in hopes to see Shifty but he wasn't there for an entire week. He called him and all that wafted out of the thief's mouth was endless complaint. The redhead had never thought Shifty would actually be irritated because he failed to find him regularly. He couldn't understand why he was being such a baby. If the thief had foreseen Splendont's hectic life, then he should have gotten over it. He should have accepted the fact that Splendont couldn't spend as much time with him as they used to while they were both students. The redhead, being as tetchy as usual, didn't even try to reassure his mate. Instead, he shouted at Shifty for the first time for being inconsiderate and childish. _

_There was no way the greenette could comprehend how challenging it was to live a life of an adult's. The redhead had work and he still had to compete with his twin. He had to lead a double life as both a working citizen and a superhero. There were simply too many expectations and too less understandings from people. There was too much stress and too less joy. Their crankiness sparked off their first quarrel. _

_They refused to find each other for several weeks, both far too stubborn to admit their defeat and wrong. Splendont concentrated on his work and ignored Shifty. Shifty, conversely, started going back to school but he never visited that cherry tree again. Both of them were waiting desperately for the other one to apologize. _

_It just never happened._

_Some time later, when Splendont began to feel guilty of having yelled at Shifty rudely, he decided to find him back. He loved him and didn't want their relationship to end because of one little thoughtless argument. He took a day off and returned to the school. He searched everywhere for Shifty and found him eventually on the roof. Only…he wasn't alone. The boy was chattering with Petunia._

_"Oh, that's very sweet of you, Shifty." The bluenette said in a rather seductive tone._

_"Nah, it's nothing."_

_Splendont couldn't believe his eyes. He wanted so much to know that it wasn't Shifty whose shoulder Petunia was leaning on. Yet, the greenette surely had his fedora on. It was him. _

_For the next hour, Splendont took in every word of their conversation. He was shaking in fury when Petunia lifted her head and kissed Shifty on the cheek. He was about to tear that shameless woman into pieces when he got caught by their speech._

_"Say, are you dating Splendont?" Petunia asked._

_"What?" Shifty exclaimed, disgruntled._

_"You two always hang out together and you're pretty close." Petunia mused. "That kind of intimacy does give me wonder."_

_"I don't know what you're talking about." Shifty said with a sullen expression. "Shift-no, I mean, I will never go out with someone like him. I'm sure he's just a tool to get through Splendid. You know that jerk? He used to be the council chairman and he always chased down Lifty and me. Splendont is his twin and I suppose the best way to tackle Splendid is by maneuvering his brother!"_

_"So, you're just using him?" Petunia sneered._

_"Of course. And he's protected us several times from the gangsters. Man, if you have someone to fight for you, you wouldn't say 'no', right? He's our secret weapon, our ultimate shield! Haha."_

_"Ah, so clever, you and Lifty." Petunia laughed._

_The redhead, close to an eruption, could only gasp. Those cruel words shot him like an arrow. To know that all this time he was nothing but a device was enough to drive him crazy. So, as he concluded, Shifty was only toying with him, taking him for granted. Just because he is Splendid's brother, it gave the twins a reason to abuse him like a piece of disposable junk. How obnoxious…_

_That day, Splendont left the school with a ripped soul. His reconciliation with Shifty never came. There was only him crying frenziedly over a boy who had deceived him of love. He could only accuse himself of his carelessness. How could he have not seen it coming? Shifty, the most notorious thief, liked to get his hands on unique, precious stuff. This time, he had stolen his heart and broken it in the most odious way._

_Filled with wrath and sorrow, Splendont swore his revenge on the pesky thief._

* * *

Shifty tottered down the road. His legs felt lame but he managed to flounder towards the grocery store. When the door opened, he collapsed. Petunia screamed when she glimpsed the blood on Shifty's shirt and pants. The boy crawled helplessly on the ground whispering his twin's name. Thunderstruck, Lifty abandoned his work and darted towards his injured brother.

"Shift!" Lifty cried, gripping both of Shifty's arms firmly and pulling him up.

"Oh my God! What happened?" Petunia shrieked, hyperventilating. Flaky and Nutty immediately brought the shaken girl back to the counter and handed her a paper bag.

"Shift, look at me, what's happened?" Lifty asked apprehensively. He widened his eyes in terror as he saw blood soaking the back of Shifty's pants. His thighs were broken and his left arm was mauled. The torn male groaned and coughed out some more blood. He grabbed Lifty's collar, quivering.

"H-Help me…Lift…" Shifty whimpered. The other twin began to burst into tears as he hugged Shifty tightly. "Yes, yes, I'm here. Tell me what's happened. Who did this to you?"

"P-Please…don't let him find me…" Shifty stuttered, his consciousness fading away.

"Shift! Who is this person you're talking about? Who?!" Lifty shook his brother worriedly. "Please don't faint! Talk to me, Shift!"

"Give me the damn phone!" Lifty howled at Nutty. The green-haired boy nodded obediently and scooted away to fetch his phone.

* * *

Splendid looked morose as he unbuttoned Shifty's shirt. Lifty stood beside him carrying the very same dejected expression.

"Jesus…" Splendid covered his mouth and recoiled backwards, the sight nauseating him. Lifty shut his eyes and sobbed. Those scars on Shifty's body stretched from place to place. Most of them were carved permanently, alongside those red marks still with blood squirting out. There were lesions that resulted from cuts, bruises from whips and scotched areas from laser scalding. There was not a single flawless area in his body. His arms were covered in purple patches and pink scratches. When they turned him over while cleaning his wounds and dressing him, the two boys nearly freaked out.

"Gosh, this can't be happening." Lifty shook his head and wailed. He couldn't imagine what his brother had undergone. He was beaten, raped and dumbed on the street. Who could have done that to him?

"I know who." Splendid murmured, blinking bitterly at Shifty's ruined body.

"Tell me!" Lifty bawled.

"Isn't it obvious?" Splendid said. "The only person who can do such thing to your brother has to hate him enough to do so."

"What?" Lifty growled, the image of a particular person suddenly crossing his mind. He screamed in tears and kicked the wall hard.

"Damn it!" He sniveled, getting down on his knees. "Why…Why would he do that?!"

"Lift…did something happen between them back in high school?" Splendid asked, gently taking his lover into an embrace.

"I…I don't know…" Lifty lamented. "I'm not sure…I just knew they were friends…"

And then, a certain fragment of memories seemed to ring a bell.

"Oh no…you don't think they were actually dating…"

"Well, I never heard it directly from Splendont." Splendid analyzed. "I mean, he wouldn't tell me even if it was true. We never knew what they were always doing together. I thought Splendont was only using you two against me."

"Seriously? I thought it was the other way round." Lifty's mouth gaped open. "Shifty was colluding with Splendont to turn against you, wasn't he?"

"Huh?" Splendid scowled, befuddled. "I never saw it that way."

"Shit." Lifty cussed. "I think I know what happened…"

A sudden bang startled the two males. They turned towards the door. Within seconds, they saw Splendont approaching them with burning rage. Splendid, as fast as he could, stood in front of Lifty and blocked his twin.

"Halt there." He commanded. "Aren't you satisfied with what you've done yet?"

"Tsk." Splendont smiled. "What's wrong with me coming for my lackey? You have no right to keep my slave."

"Stop it, Splendont. Enough!" Splendid shouted.

"It's never enough!" Splendont shoved his brother away and shuffled towards the boy in bed.

"No!" Lifty spread out his arms and stopped Splendont from getting closer to his twin. "I won't let you hurt him again!"

"Step aside." Splendont warned. "You stinky trash."

"Don't you dare!" With one move, Splendid tackled his twin down to the ground.

"You're leaving me no choice."

"Oh yea?" Splendont laughed. "Kill me, bro. If you can!"

The two heroes started attacking each other like a lunatic. Seizing the chance, Lifty tried to heave Shifty up onto his back and get him out of the room. His action, though, was cut off promptly by Splendont. The redhead kicked his brother forcibly, causing him to fly backwards and hit the wall. He proceeded to lunge towards Lifty with his eyes glowing in red.

"No…" A tremulous voice yapped. Swiftly, Shifty switched positions with Lifty and took the original strike. He blurted out an agonizing moan as two laser beams delved his back, smearing his new clothes with fresh blood.

In the next second, everything was frozen in the room. Almost in a very slow motion, Shifty collapsed. Lifty started screaming. Splendid got back up onto his feet and stared in horror.

Splendont, the culprit, could only stand still as Shifty's blood splashed against his face. It sputtered like rain. The redhead bit his tongue and stumbled backwards regretfully. He hadn't intended to shoot Shifty. His attack was meant for Lifty.

"You…" Shifty turned to Splendont droopily. "You…can screw me…but you can't…you can't hurt Lifty. You can h-hate me all you want b-but you can't kill my brother…BECAUSE THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAN KILL HIM IS ME!"

After lashing out with all his strength, Shifty lay back in Lifty's arms. The younger twin gazed at his brother, crying uncontrollably at his loss.

"No, Shift, wake up…" Lifty squealed, holding his brother as tightly as he could. He wished he could squeeze some response from him.

"S-Sorry…Lift…I've let you die too many times." Shifty smirked, blood oozing between his teeth. "I guess…this time…I can finally do something for ya."

"No…don't. Don't speak, Shift." Lifty shook his head, refusing to accept the truth that his brother was dying. "You'll be alright. Don't worry. You won't die…right? You won't. You can't! I won't let you!"

"Good night, Lift." Shifty smiled vaguely and shut his eyes. His hands fell out of Lifty's grip and his head swung to one side. His chest stopped moving up and down. There was no more sound of his breath. No more sight of his life…

"You…" Lifty glared at Splendont with his watery eyes. "Are you happy now? Well, ARE YOU?"

Splendont didn't answer. He ogled Shifty's corpse blankly. Splendid grasped his twin indignantly and pinned him on the wall. The redhead, still expressionless, couldn't take his eyes off Shifty's lifeless body. The boy's last words swirled in his head. As Splendid lifted his fist and punched him, the pain didn't snap him out of his remorse. Splendont fell to the ground only to get hauled back up and thwacked several times.

"Stop, Splendid! He's your brother…" Lifty bawled, whining at the same time.

At once, the bluenette stopped beating his twin.

"He is not my brother." Splendid said coldly, walking over to his lover. "This monstrous creature is no brother to me."


	8. Hideous Truth

***A/N* So...we've come this far. I can't believe I'm actually writing this. It seems that my stories are getting darker and darker, sadder and sadder. But...well...it doesn't matter xD Here goes chapter 8! Finally, the truth is unraveled. Enjoy & review :3**

* * *

_Splendont waited outside the front gate. All that echoed in his mind was the opportune moment of seeking his own feast of vengeance on the boy that had broken his heart. Once he caught sight of Shifty, he pushed him against the fence, causing the greenette to yelp in agony. The hero lifted his fist and walloped his mate, not caring if it might take away the other male's life. The soaring anger completely blinded him as he repeatedly thrashed the young thief._

_"So, you got your fun toying with me, eh?" The redhead interrogated, squeezing his boyfriend's shirt so hard that he almost ripped it off._

_The greenette furrowed his brows in confusion, still not catching the slightest hint of his current jeopardy. Licking off smudges of blood on his lips, he stammered. "W-What're you talking about?"_

_"I heard what you said to Petunia last Friday." _

_"What?" Shifty, still puzzled, widened his eyes. At once, he felt as though he had been left out of the universe. The blood-curdling glance from his feisty lover was sending shivers all over his body. He panted in fear, his vision obscured by ever so many tears. _

_"Stop faking! You know well what you said!" The redhead roared, crying alongside the thief. "You're straight, right? You only used me against Splendid! So smart of you!"_

_"S-Stop it..." Shifty swung himself off from Splendont's grip and glared at him with disgust. He had always regarded himself tolerant but even his immense tolerance had its own limits. The unreasonable blame cast upon him was simply tearing him apart."Look, I have no idea what you're getting at. I thought after we fell out last month, you've finally come back for me. But look all the bullshit you're throwing at me. What the hell do you think I am? A portable boyfriend? The kind that you call whenever you feel like to and toss away when you don't need him?"_

_"Shut up! You have no right to complain!" Splendont shouted and smacked the greenette. Shifty collapsed to the ground, placing his palm on his swollen cheek. His mind was engulfed in sheer fright. A mixture of sensations rushed over him as he tried hard to comprehend his lover's irrational behaviour. As far as he could remember, Splendont had never lain his hands on him. Indeed, they had had bickered once or twice before but he was never angry enough to actually treat him with violence. The worst part of all though, was the fact that he was clueless about his rage. What had he done to have infuriated the redhead? He couldn't believe he had just hit him!_

_"You let Petunia kiss you. You told her that you were only using me. Great. You didn't think I would overhear that, right? I came to find you and I saw you with her on the roof." The redhead stood high and stern, his face turning aflame to reveal his indigence and jealousy. He, too, was surprised that he had wounded his partner but his fury was way out of control. He felt horrible being betrayed by his first and greatest love.  
_

_"Huh?" Shifty frowned, still unable to register Splendont's words. His seeming ignorance further stirred up another frenzy in the red male._

_"I hate you." Splendont proclaimed. Tears had long smeared his face and soaked his mask. The only thing he could do was to retain his last sense of pride, even if he realized he was basically the one being dumped. "I should have known a lowlife like you would bring nothing but trouble. You worthless scum!"_

_Shifty's eyes nearly bulged when he heard Splendont's insult. For the first time, he was mad. Utterly mad at his lover. He clenched his teeth and stood back up. Something in him snapped as he decided to make the most foolish decision ever. That is, to confront his fierce lover._

_"Damn you! If that's what you think, fine then, let it be!" Shifty howled. "I don't care! Yes, I was born to be a lowlife. A contemptible one, as you said. Someone low as me can't possibly reach you. You're just a spoiled brat always seeking your brother's attention. Do whatever you like and we're done here."_

_The thief could barely spare a second to regret his cruel words when the redhead, clearly aggrieved, knocked him over with his incredible speed. He pinned him down to the ground and struck him hard. The thief retaliated by kicking and punching his lover. Soon, the two boys fought and rolled __on the ground, cursing and spitting at one another._

_It wasn't long before they both ended up severely injured. To Shifty's dismay, Splendont had used his superpower on him. The thief couldn't describe how crestfallen he was to see the hero actually activate his deadly power just to kill him. In return, the greenette pulled out his own handgun and fired at the redhead in the chest. The two collapsed at the same time, both wheezing in their own rivers of blood. In their last moment of life, the two loured at each other irately._

_"I see…so you've got yourself a new girlfriend." The redhead muttered._

_"I told you it wasn't me!" Shifty blubbered, still frustrated that his lover hadn't trusted him._

_"Quit lying. I saw it with my eyes."_

_Finally giving up the quarrel, Shifty wailed. "Fine! Suit yourself and don't believe me! And yes, I only took you as my pet to do things for me. You're a good shield to use against that dumbass chairman!"_

_On hearing Shifty's hostile words, the redhead was steamed up again. Without hesitation, he finished him off with his laser beams, slaughtering his lover for once._

* * *

Splendont perched on the balcony and peered down at his garden. Millions of thoughts were whirling in his head. He just couldn't get rid of that damn memory. He kept recalling how he had tortured and murdered Shifty countless times. He was angry at his betrayal but he wasn't a bit happy despite everything he had done to avenge himself. He wasn't happy at all after killing Shifty…

All the pain he had inflicted on the young thief came back haunting him with unspeakable guilt. Why, he wondered. He wasn't supposed to feel guilty. He ought to be pleased because he had murdered a disloyal lover. But no one could deny that he had overdone it. His madness had long exceeded the line of virtue and conscience. He was merely a living machine driven solely by the urge of revenge and hatred. How despicable...

Splendont closed his eyes and mediated. Perhaps he should jump off the balcony and die for good. It would do. Splendid had said coldly how such a monstrous being like him couldn't be his brother. And he was right. He was nothing but a rancorous, jealous beast that could never get over his past. He kept venting his anger on Shifty thinking it might relieve his own woe. It never did. He had only made themselves suffer even more.

"Splendont…"

The redhead's ears twitched. He jumped back onto the ground expecting to see a familiar face. He would actually be glad if it was Shifty.

It was, nonetheless, Lifty.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Lifty said, his expression calm and solemn.

"Did you just break into my house?" Splendont asked scornfully. If there was one person he definitely hated to see at the moment, it had to be his brother's boyfriend. After all, Lifty was the ultimate reason that reminded him and Shifty of their miserable past.

"Yes…sorry, but I knocked. No one answered." Lifty claimed. "I really need to speak to you. Please."

"Okay."

They got back into the house and sat opposite to each other. The former theif, not daring to meet the redhead's eyes, lowered his head and took a deep breath.

"Say what you have to say. I don't get a whole day." The redhead urged, crossing his arms impatiently.

"Well...I guess, I'll start then." The greenette sighed and cleared his throat. "Um...I see I have the need to tell you the truth of what actually happened three years ago. Do you remember the time when you saw Shifty with Petunia on the roof?"

"Yes." Splendont scowled, rather befuddled by the fact that Lifty knew the incident.

"Um…it wasn't Shifty that you saw." Lifty said nervously. He put his shaky hands on his lap and stuttered. "It was...It was me."

"Huh?" Splendont's mouth gaped open. He felt as though a thunder had struck him.

"Let me explain first." Lifty paused for a while to organize his thoughts before continuing his speech. "You see, Splendont, I knew you and Shifty fell out once in high school. After you ignored him, Shifty got ill for a week. He couldn't come back to school. Then, one day, Petunia texted him asking for a favor. She wanted him to help her retrieve a necklace that had gotten stolen by some bully at school. Shifty didn't know about it because he was sick in bed. He couldn't even check his phone. I was the one who saw the text. I thought...well, I thought he was courting Petunia at that time. So, as stupid as could be, I offered myself to help. I thought taking his fedora and pretending to be him could work out just fine. I got Petunia back her necklace successfully and she really did think it was Shifty who helped her. I guessed that was the time when you appeared and spotted us on the roof. What you saw was none other than Petunia thanking and kissing me thinking I was Shifty. So imbecile I was. I thought I had done my brother a huge favor and that he would appreciate it. But when I returned home to tell him what I did, he freaked out. He was pissed but he didn't blame me. I was confused to be honest. I had no idea why he was upset. I mean...I had helped him please a girl. I had just gotten Petunia to like him. He ought to be happy, right? But I suppose...I was far too ignorant. Now that I think of it, he wasn't interested in Petunia at all because he was in love with you. And you actually mistook me for him just because I had his fedora on. When Petunia asked me about your relationships, I was shocked. I just didn't think it was possible that Shifty loved you. I had always thought you two only became allies so that you could conspire against Splendid. I really saw nothing more than that because well… even if Shifty was really dating you, he had done a pretty good job hiding it. In the end, you actually accused him of betraying you but he never did. He was waiting, all the time, for you to find him. He thought you would come to our house directly to see him while he was sick but you only visited the school instead. And that's where you witnessed the wrong scene."

Lifty stopped again to examine the redhead's reaction. Splendont was listening with full concentration and then, in an instant, a twisted expression splayed all over his face. He pressed his lips together and shook his head sorely, not wishing to process Lifty's speech. No, it wasn't true. It could never be true! What the heck did Lifty just say? Why would he say that? He couldn't be saying this after everything the redhead had done to himself and to Shifty!

"You're lying…" Splendont whined, treading the floor deliriously."You're lying! You're lying!"

"I am not." Lifty denied shortly. "Why would I lie to you about something like this? And have you ever seen Shifty really date Petunia afterwards? If so, she wouldn't even end up with that amputee. Oh, that's right. You wouldn't believe it even if it's true. That's what happened when you decided to believe wholeheartedly that Shifty had betrayed you. You didn't even care to listen to him! You broke up with him right away. You killed him!"

Splendont flopped back in his chair, aghast. Nothing could paralyze him like Lifty's confessions. Every single word stabbed his heart like a dagger. He couldn't cease declining the truth. And yet, he couldn't cease believing it either.

He had, as Lifty mentioned, never offered Shifty a moment to defend himself. The greenette did say it wasn't him that was flirting with Petunia. However, Splendont didn't believe him. He thrust aside everything Shifty had said. He confiscated his pleas and racked him nefariously.

"He told you it wasn't him, right? He just didn't tell you it was me!" Lifty said. "He never blamed me for messing up his relationship...He took it all by himself. And you never tried to listen to him or to understand his feelings. You can't possibly think you were the only one heartbroken here, huh? When he came home after getting resurrected from your murder, he cried for days. I didn't realize then, that he was mourning over someone so inconsiderate like you. And you were the one who told him off because he was being demanding? He only wanted you to hang out with him more. How could you call that idea childish? And you know what? We didn't live like you! We were broke. So damn poor. We couldn't actually waste time dating someone. My brother was the one who got me food and shelter. He did everything for me. He never got time to study. And he had to spend time with you. Now, do you call that childish? Do you call a solitary guy childish just because he wants to be loved more by his boyfriend? You're so full of yourself. Just like how Splendid used to be. Only a thousand times worse. You never see what's wrong with you. You only see what's wrong in others. You never care about Shifty's feelings but yours. You didn't stop plaguing my brother when he begged you to. You didn't stop fighting Splendid when he asked you to. You only get what you want, don't you? Hell, you don't give a damn what others want. Yea, that's you. That's all I have to say!"

Lifty stood up and looked at the hero with disdain. "And I swear I won't let you hurt my brother again. You've hurt him more than enough. If you think a lowlife like us has no feelings, you're wrong. We have just as much flesh and blood as everyone else. You shoot us and we bleed. You kill us and we die. You have no idea how much it hurts to be killed over and over again only to realize the only murderer is the one you love."

Splendont watched the greenette leave the house and slam the door behind him. He was left crying in silence. What Lifty said was so true that it haunted him with penitence. He heard his heart screaming in despair. Those rueful tears rushed out of his eyes and stung his face. The realization crucified him. To know that he had been meaninglessly torturing Shifty was literally traumatizing. His lover had done absolutely nothing wrong and yet he had destroyed his life and squashed him like a fly. He was the one who had stolen Shifty's heart and broken it callously. Lifty's words made more sense than anything else on earth. Splendont was so full of himself. He had never heeded others' feelings. The way he treated his own brother and his own lover was the best evidence of all.

And he dared call himself a victim.

How nasty…

He had been the one hurting Shifty all along.

* * *

_"Look what I've found!" Shifty shouted merrily. His voice caught the redhead's attention. Instinctively, Splendont turned around and welcomed his boyfriend with a smile._

_Shifty was wielding a pair of pink boxers with acorn prints. He jogged towards Splendont and threw the garments at him._

_"What the hell are you doing?" The redhead frowned._

_"Guess whose boxers they are." Shifty smirked._

_Immediately, Splendont cackled.__"Darn, he's an advocate of romanticism."_

_"Really?" Shifty tagged along with the laughter. "Geez, it's so hilarious. He forgot to lock his locker. Your brother is so sissy."_

_"Hey, do you have a marker?" Splendont tittered._

_"Wow, that's so wicked, Splendont." Shifty scoffed._

_Together, the boys laid the boxers on the ground and wrote Splendid's name on them. Afterwards, they hung the garments in the most visible location in school._

_"Shit, he's going to be very mad." Shifty said._

_"Nah, he can't do anything to us." Splendont draped his arm on his mate's shoulder. "Can he?"_

_The thief laughed again, knowing the redhead would always shield him from Splendid's authority._

_The bluenette finally arrived at the scene. He dropped his jaws when he saw his boxers being hung in the playground. The crowd all turned their heads and gasped at him._

_The two culprits hid in the shades and enjoyed their day laughing with others at the poor council chairman._

_"Thank you for giving me that fun!" Splendont snickered. "Damn, I'm gonna laugh myself to sleep."_

_"Really." Shifty grinned slyly, leaning in to peck at his boyfriend's cheek. "Splendont, can you tell me your real name?"_

_"Woah, you're stealing people's names now, aren't you?" Splendont jeered._

_"It's okay if you don't wanna tell me." Shifty said, fiddling with the redhead's mask. "I'm just wondering if your name is as beautiful as your face."_

_Splendont blushed and ducked at Shifty's touch. Gazing back at the ground, he mumbled in slight embarrassment. "Shayne...That's my name...if you really want to know."_

_"Cool." Shifty clapped his hands happily as though he had found the greatest treasure on the planet. "Guess I found it right! Hehehee."_

_"Huh?"_

_The thief rummaged through his pockets and pulled out something shiny. He hurled it at Splendont. The redhead caught the glistening silver bracelet in a second, surprised._

_"Do you think you can hide it from me?" Shifty giggled. "It's written in one of your assignments."_

_"Urgh, did you just hack into my computer account?"_

_"Yea, just to get your name for this."_

_Bemused, Splendont looked carefully at the bracelet. Sure enough, his name was carved on it, together with Shifty's._

_"Stanley? That's your name?" Splendont raised his brows._

_"Yup." _

_"How did you get this?"_

_"Well, it's a secret." Shifty winked deceitfully and waved his wrist in the air. "And I have one too. It's a pair! Do you like it?"_

_"Why, I love it." The redhead grinned and slipped the bracelet around his wrist. "Damn, you're so sweet, Shift."_

_"Yea, wanna taste me?"_

_The redhead chortled. He pinned his mate to the wall and kissed him passionately._

* * *

Splendid opened the door and dropped his grocery bags. The living room was in a complete muddle. It looked as though his house had been burgled. All furniture had been moved from their original position. The hero flew into the kitchen only to see every single utensil being knocked down. Everything, again, was in disarray. A soft tweeting noise caught his sensitive ears. Reflexively, he dashed towards the dining room to find Shifty munching on a chocolate pie and quaffing a bottle of ginger beer.

"SHIFTY!" Splendid screamed. "You…You ate the last slice of my pie!"

"Huh?" Shifty tried to speak but could only choke on the pies.

At the exact moment, his younger twin returned home. As soon as Splendid heard the door, he ran into Lifty's arms sobbing.

"W-What's wrong?" Lifty asked, perturbed by his lover's whimpers.

"Errrr…Your brother! He…He ate my pie!" The hero croaked like a child, trying to gain some comfort from his partner.

"Oh man, what in the world happened here?" Lifty asked, scanning over the chaotic room.

"Ask Shifty!" Splendid snorted, folding his arms.

"S-Shifty?"

Finally finishing his pie, Shifty came out of the dining room with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry…I was…hungry." Shifty explained. "I...I haven't eaten anything for days..."

"You ate everything in the house!" Splendid grumbled, finding the fridge emptied. The very same happened to all the drawers, cupboards and shelves or anywhere else where there had been food stored.

"Oh, Spencer, don't be angry. He's just hungry." Lifty said, hugging the sulky male.

"B-But…he ate my ultimate super splendid special supreme pie!" Splendid wept, still disturbed by the mess Shifty had caused.

"Please, I'll bake another one with you, okay?" Lifty sighed and offered.

"O-Okay…" The bluenette murmured softly. The former thief chuckled and patted him on the head.

"Um…" Shifty, growing itchy with the couple, cooed in an attempt to get some notice. "I'll clean this up and leave. Sorry for eating all your food, Splendid. I'll steal them back for ya."

"You what?" Lifty frowned. "You can't leave! You have nowhere to go!"

"Yea." Splendid agreed. "And if Splendont finds you, he'll try to kill you again…I really don't want to get into another fight with him just to save you."

"You don't have to. I'll be okay." Shifty said, picking up the garbage he had left on the floor.

"No, you're staying with us until we get you somewhere to stay!" Lifty asserted.

"Nah, no need to make a fuss. I'll just stay wherever. If I run out of food, can I find you?" Shifty said.

"WHAT?" Splendid yelled. "After eating all my food, you're still hungry?!"

"Not now." Shifty laughed, dumping all the rubbish into the dustbin. "Sorry to bother you guys. See ya."

"Wait." Lifty grabbed his twin's arm and gulped. "I-I...I saw Splendont today."

"WHAT?" The other two boys exclaimed almost at the same time.

"I told you not to find him alone!" Splendid gasped, growing extremely worried. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No." Lifty shook his head and gazed at Shifty. "I told him the truth, Shift. I told him that it wasn't you whom he saw with Petunia. It was me."

Shifty froze, his face turning paler than ever. He tumbled backwards and clutched his chest."You're joking…right?"

"I am not. He ought to know it." Lifty affirmed. "He won't stop hurting you until he knows that he's actually the one at fault!"

"Oh God, you can't do that to him!" Shifty said, tearing up. "If he knows everything he's done is nothing but wrong, he's going to…going to…"

Shifty didn't want to say what Splendont might do but the two males in front of him were clearly oblivious. He couldn't manage to tell them the fear that was enclosing him.

"You don't understand him!" Eventually, Shifty cried and bolted out of the house at once.

Lifty, rendered stunned by his twin's impulsive act, turned to look at Splendid remorsefully. "S-Splendid...did I…mess it up again?"

The hero blinked plainly at the door and shook his head. "No...you did the right thing. It's about time they sort this out."

Reassured a bit by Splendid's answer, Lifty began to weep, partly because of the guilt he had been concealing all these years and because of the unknown fate that was awaiting Shifty and Splendont.

Silently, the bluenette wrapped his arms around his partner and cuddled him.


	9. Rueful Tears and Unspoken Guilt

***A/N* Ay...I know this tale is sad and all but here we are, almost near to the end. It is actually the end unless you guys want an epilogue. You might be appalled after reading this chapter, wondering why I've made Shifty do what he did. Love is priceless and I most definitely suck at tragedy. So, either way, I'll make the ending happy as in contrast to the previous heartbreaking chapters. Enjoy and tell me what you think! I'm so glad people are reading and following this story. This is my second multi-chapter yaoi fanfiction and I hope you like it just as much as the first one.**

* * *

Shifty ran all over the town. He tripped. He crashed. He cried. He ran to Splendont's house but nobody was in. There was only a piece of paper with an apology written on it.

**_I'm sorry. _**

**_Goodbye, Shifty._**

Nothing panicked Shifty more than seeing Splendont go missing. No one understood the redhead as much as he did. Splendont wouldn't forgive anyone that hurt him. But most of all, he would never forgive himself if he ever hurt someone unnecessarily.

"Shayne!" Shifty barked. He wished someone could hear him. He wished he could hear him!

His fear came with a reason. It had happened once. And it was the most upsetting experience ever.

_"Splendont?" Shifty loomed closer to the silhouette squatting down in one corner. He recognized his hair. He knew immediately it was the boy he loved._

_The redhead buried his face in his arms. A ray of crimson light surrounded him, setting up a burning barrier that stood between him and Shifty._

_"S-Shayne?" Shifty called out his name again. When he couldn't elicit a response from the redhead, he tried to step into that invincible barrier._

_"Stop. Don't come near me." Splendont said, his voice quavering._

_"What…What's happened?"_

_"I…I hurt him too badly. He now hates me to death." The redhead cried. "He…said I'm not his brother anymore…"_

_"Oh, he can't be that serious! I mean, this kind of stuff happens to him all the time. He should have gotten used to it already!" Shifty said. "Who asked him to be the council chairman?"_

_"But it's different this time!" Splendont argued. "He made it clear that I can't go near him again! He said he despises me and it's not like one of those playful jokes we always pull on each other. I must have overdone it. He's not talking to me anymore! He's mad. He's so mad that he decides to draw a line between our blood relations!"_

_"He can't be mad at you. You're just teasing him. We all are." Shifty shrugged, not comprehending why Splendid was making such a fuss over Splendont's misdeed. The bluenette was always being mocked and picked on. He might as well get it over with. "If he can't take that mocking, he shouldn't have made himself such a conceited, mighty king. With that ego of his, he should take all the criticisms, right?"_

_"We used to play together until he told me to grow up." The redhead confessed, trying his best to reminisce about his past. "But...I didn't like the idea at all. I don't want to be an adult. He went on to do his own stuff. That's when I started provoking him. I want his attention. He wouldn't notice me unless I messed around with him! Tell me I've done nothing wrong! It can't be wrong! I only want him to play with me. Is it wrong? No one hangs out with me. No one likes me."_

_"Stop it. You can't take all the blame by yourself." The thief retorted. "You two are just different. It's not like Lifty and I are anything alike. If he can't appreciate your effort, he shouldn't be scolding you. You did nothing wrong, okay? Please, come back here."_

_"No." Splendont declined and shook his head stubbornly as the red light glowed around him. The greenette knew he was trying to kill himself out of depression. Without a second thought, Shifty swept into the barrier and hugged the male._

_"S-Shifty?!" Splendont turned around abruptly. The thief responded with a painful smile. The heat emanating from the redhead's superpower was scalding him but he didn't care. All he wanted was to enfold him in his arms, giving him all the comfort he needed._

_"No, get out of here before it kills you!" Splendont tried to shove him away but it only made the other boy cling closer to him._

_"If you need attention, I'm here to give you some." The boy said naively. "If you think no one likes you, well, don't you forget that I love you. Even if you kill yourself, it won't fix anything. It's too typical for brothers to fight. Lifty and I have had it all the time. I don't go as far as to commit suicide, do I? 'Cause I know there's always someone there for me and it's you."_

_The redhead deactivated his power almost instantly and hugged the thief back, crying irrepressibly in his embrace._

_"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry!" Splendont sniffed. "Forgive me, Stanley!"_

_"Don't worry about it." The thief managed to smile despite his wounds. "I saw it coming when I first met you. You're so dangerous, Splendont. So dangerously attractive."_

_The redhead smiled back and buried himself in his lover's arms, vowing to love this boy forever._

* * *

Splendont lay down on the ground. He let himself drown in his own blood. He held the silver bracelet close to himself. He could never explain why he kept it even after he had misunderstood everything and desplorably thought that Shifty had betrayed him. Nothing felt worse than realizing all this time, his effort of terrorizing the young thief was pointless and irrational. He had been persecuting someone he loved because of his own ill jealousy. Shifty had given him all he had but in return, what he received was pure devastation and maltreatment. Even now, the redhead felt scared of his own tyranny. How could he have done something so incorrigible? He must have lost his mind. He was never like this as a young teen. Three years of solitude had filled him with so much grudge and vengeance. How was he able to cope now?

"It doesn't matter…anyway…" Splendont smiled satirically. The silver metal gleamed in white, forming such a beautiful contrast to his own dark blood. He felt the pain he had imposed on Shifty. He had decided to kill himself the same way he had once killed his lover, to bear the dire consequences of his stupidity and to experience the very same burden he had been causing his mate. The only difference though was the fact that this time, he wouldn't wake up again. It would be the only way to redeem his sins as he reckoned his own existence was mere venom, an aversion that would do nothing but add up to someone else's misery.

As he lay flat outside the town's boundary, the redhead smiled again. In his tainted consciousness, a face caught his eyes. He wouldn't want to believe it was real, for it was too delusional to be real.

He remembered the first time they met in the school campus. They went past each other for a very swift moment but it was enough for the redhead to get unspeakably attracted to those remarkably sharp eyes. Those stunning emerald orbs always shone with inconceivable allurement. They always possessed such a mixture of sentiments which Splendont could never see through. He loved him. He loved him so much that he wanted him to be only his. His selfishness and obsession, however, had evolved into something ever so irreversibly disastrous. He had only himself to blame for everything.

Shifty sprinted towards the dying male, his heart beating like a drum. No, he wasn't mad at all. So very oddly, he wasn't angry at the redhead despite everything he had done to him. The second he saw him panting in a pool of blood, Shifty cried out loud. He wasn't sure why he would still shed tears for a beast that had broken his fragile heart. Yet, the realization that Splendont was on the brink of death clutched his heart, so hard that he wished he could share the pain with him.

"S-Splendont…" Shifty's tears dribbled down onto the redhead's face. Splendont nictitated hollowly and raised his hand to touch the greenette, only to know that he was a concrete being rather than an illusion.

Somewhere, in his heart, he was rewarded with a peaceful silence. The redhead managed to smile vaguely at the boy he had loved and hurt so badly. He felt the urge to apologize even though it wouldn't help much. What he had done was far too unpardonable. In the end, all that wafted out of his mouth were small whimpers. He hoped Shifty could hear what he said. At least, he had to let him know that he was sorry, so terribly sorry. There was nothing else he could do other than ending his own life. He would finally leave him alone.

What happened next, Splendont had obscure memory of it. He could only remember Shifty crying out for help. His own brother appeared alongside Lifty. They were all shouting something at him. He couldn't hear anything though. Neither could he see anything. There was only darkness and pain. Everything went black.

* * *

_"Hey, Shifty, we'll always stay together, right?" The redhead asked as they were lying on the moors, staring up at the sky with their hands intertwined._

_"Yea." Shifty replied. "Unless you don't need me and want to kick me out. Haha."_

_"I won't." Splendont assured, gently nuzzling the other boy's neck. "I'll never kick you out."_

_"And if I become homeless, will you take me in?"_

_"Sure, why not? But there's no such thing as free lunch, hehee."_

_"Oh, what would you want then?" The thief snickered, playfully stroking his mate's hair. _

_"Serve me and I'll give you everything you want." The redhead promised._

_"Phew, you're so pampered. You want me to work for you, huh?"_

_"Is that a problem?" Splendont laughed. "I'm offering you a home, dude. And you get more money working for me. Possibly."_

_"Nah, I have no problem with it." The greenette grinned merrily at the friendly offer. "You had better keep your promise though. I eat a lot. I use up a lot of space too."_

_"Seriously? And you don't even have a piece of fat with you?" The redhead teased, pinching his partner's stomach._

_"Hey, it's genetics." The thief said. "Wanna do an experiment? Take me in for one day and I'll gobble down everything in your house."_

_The redhead chuckled and climbed on top of his boyfriend. "I don't starve my servant. Not this one I love most."_

_"Alright, just give me food and say your commands. I'll be there to please you."_

_The hero laughed again and bent down to kiss his secret lover._

Splendont opened his eyes. Tears rolled down his patsy cheeks. He hadn't forgotten about the promise but he had long broken it. He had…failed Shifty. He hadn't offered him a home like he had promised. He hadn't treated him well either. And he hadn't loved him like he said he would forever.

The redhead sobbed, wondering if he was in the hell. The whiteness of the surrounding though was something else. He spun up, only to find a green-haired head leaning on the bedside. He stretched out his left arm in order to reach him but flinched before touching those green locks. The more he looked at the sleeping male, the harder it was to control his tears. He buried his face in his hands and cried, wishing there was some magic Panadol that could cure the ache of his heart.

"Splendont…"

Shifty finally woke up from his nap. He ogled the puling boy and stood up from his chair. Serenely, he went towards the weeping boy and enclasped him. The redhead twitched but didn't look up.

"Please, Shifty…kill me, beat me…just do something to hurt me…" Splendont wailed. He slid out of the bed and knelt down before the greenette, tugging his hands and begging with so much sincerity. "Please, I deserve it…Go on and shoot me with your gun. Let me die..."

"Gosh, you're still a selfish jerk, aren't you?" The thief purred. "I won't kill you if you think that will make you feel better.

"Why…" Splendont cried. "Kill me now, Stanley. You ought to kill me a hundred times…"

"Get up, Shayne." Shifty ordered. He clasped the redhead's elbows and attempted to pull him up. Splendont, however, didn't move an inch.

"No…I won't get up…"

"It won't make me feel any better…" The thief confessed bitterly.

"I…can't." The redhead shook his head deliriously. "I just can't live anymore. Why did you bring me back into the town? Why didn't you just leave me dying there? You shouldn't have saved me. You should have just let me burn in hell like I was supposed to!"

"No. I told you long ago I wouldn't let you kill yourself. If you think doing that can clear your faults, you're wrong! You're still guilty! You're guilty!"

"I know…" Splendont sighed and shut his eyes. Once more, he let remorse wash over him. No matter how much he tried to endure the pain, it simply wouldn't ebb away. If Shifty could just kill him, he might have felt better. But the thief refused to grant his last will. And it plunged him into greater despair. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry, Shifty. I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry…"

"Yea, I know. You already said that." The greenette nodded calmly.

"No, I have to say it again. I won't stop until I die permanently. I won't stop until forever ends. I won't stop until you forgive me. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I-"

"Sh…" Shifty shushed the redhead, cradling his head tenderly. "Please, stop it."

"I won't. I…I was such a stupid bastard. I did everything wrong. So wrong. Lifty's right. I'm nothing but a selfish jerk. I owe you a lot. So please, could you just kill me or do something to hurt me? I won't ask for more! Please!"

"Listen, Splendont, I…" Shifty paused and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes wide and gazed at the redhead. "I hate you. You've hurt me for more than I can remember. But…I love you. I can never kill you. As much as I want to shoot you with my gun RIGHT NOW, I can't bring myself to do it…I just can't. And the past is the past. We were both so young, so ignorant, so foolish. And yes, you were wrong but I was wrong too. I should've explained it more clearly to you. I should've told you the truth even if you wouldn't believe me. I thought you trusted me enough. But I guess...we just didn't love each other enough."

"No…I love you. I still do. I was so mad because you left me. If I couldn't love you, I would have to hate you. I just couldn't stop myself from hurting you. And I was so stupid to believe what I saw. I was so vain and inconsiderate. I've made you suffer…Oh God…I'm so hopeless…"

Torrents of tears pelted down on the redhead's lap. He kept lamenting until his throat went dry. The greenette watched with so much anguish. Sure enough, Splendont deserved it. Considering what he had committed, he deserved something even more detrimental. But still, Shifty knew better than anyone else the redhead was clearly suffering from his own guilt. This guilt would stay with him forever in his life. It would constantly remind him of how reckless and sinful he had been.

"Splendont…" The thief finally bent down and hugged the other male. It took him a long time to muster the courage to speak the truth. If there was one thing he absolutely wanted, it wasn't for him to see Splendont suffer indefinitely but to reverse the time and start everything all over again.

"If you think it takes you forever to repent your sins, then keep me and love me for longer than eternity." Shifty said.

The redhead gasped, astounded at first, more rueful next. He stared at Shifty, his hands trembling with uncertainty. He had lost the confidence to confront his lover after letting him down so many times that even he felt disappointed with himself.

"I can't… Not after what I did to you…" Splendont stammered, rather self-conscious of his own mistakes. The cheesy line didn't help soothe him at all. He still felt as though his entire world had crumbled down in a trice.

"Yes, you can, if we leave all the past behind us. We can always start again…right?" The greenette smiled. He must be going insane, to have thought that he could love someone who had once made his life a living hell. Love is insane. He couldn't care less. There was always room for trying. He could give it a shot. He reckoned he might forgive him somehow.

"How? Tell me…how?" The redhead, seemingly bewildered, asked like a child lost in the labyrinth. He was, frankly speaking, frightened. He couldn't see the light Shifty saw. He couldn't forgive himself for what he had done. He couldn't trust himself anymore. He would rather let Shifty hate him until the day he disappeared from this planet than to reconcile with him. If he started falling in love with him again, he might repeat the same mistake some time later.

"Say 'yes' and I'll show you. Trust me if you still love me. I don't lie to the one I love. We can do this together. We'll just have to forget about the painful stuff and stick to what we promised before. Does that sound clear to you?"

Nevertheless, the thief was so determined. His smile was full of faith and hope. The redhead faltered. His heart melted. His tears wouldn't stop.

"A bit…Just a bit…I'll try…" Splendont stuttered. "Tell me what I have to do. I'll do whatever you want me to. I'll do it for you until I can no longer move and speak…"

"Well, hold and wear this for me. I thought you had dumped it long ago." Shifty slipped the bracelet back into Splendont's hands. The redhead widened his eyes as the accessory sparkled in the beautiful, silvery light. It was the first and the last trace of their love.

"I don't dump the first gift from my love…It can't be compared to any treasures in this world." Splendont cooed. It was true that he had treated the bracelet as something more precious than his own life. When they were still dating, the redhead would freak out if he ever lost this special present from his mate.

"Um…it isn't real silver, actually." Shifty blushed timidly. "I couldn't really afford one anyway…"

"I know, but you spent a month's part-time salary on it plus half of your loot." The redhead said, twiddling the little toy with a relieved grin.

"Hey…how did you know that?" Shifty asked, apparently baffled.

"The very same way you got to know my real name." Splendont smirked and wiped off his tears.

"You love me, don't you? That's why you kept hurting me. You thought I had betrayed you."

"I…" Splendont gulped and swallowed his sobs. "I do…But do you still want me to love you now? I...I want to make it up to you but I don't know how. I'm sorry…I'm really sorry, Stanley…"

"And if I say 'yes'?"

"Then, I'll love you until you don't need me and you decide to kick me out." The redhead asserted.

Inwardly, he prayed that he wouldn't do it wrong again. If possible, he would even wish that he could become Shifty's lackey in return. He wouldn't mind swapping their places. He would serve him until the day he died. To correct his faults, he would do anything for the greenette. Anything.

Shifty laughed, holding the redhead tightly as he promised. "I'll never kick you out. I love you."

And indeed, the thief forgave the other boy. Why? He didn't know why. All these years, his heart had never been at ease. He could never get over what had happened to their relationship. He had always been waiting for this opportune moment to come, where they could settle everything and start again. He knew it was another risky journey but somehow, he had a feeling that this time, their love would turn out just right.

As for the redhead, it had been three years since he had ever felt so reassured. All his pain had been relieved and smothered by the warmth of the greenette's love. His immense tolerance and unconditional forgiveness was so touching that the hero decided he would, for the thief, abandon all his pride just to show how earnest he was to correct his mistakes and to become a better lover. He would love and trust him with his whole heart until he was no longer needed. He would let Shifty dispose of him when he grew tired of him. And yet he would still be grateful, for there was one thing he was most certain about- Love is far more selfless than he could imagine.

Peacefully, Splendont leaned against his lover with the most contented smile ever.


	10. Epilogue

***A/N* Finally, here comes the epilogue. Geez, I'm gonna miss this story. I had so much fun writing it, with such a mixture of different emotions. At some point, I feel sorry for these two but now, I'm simply happy they have found their way out and solved their issues. Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it :D I hope I can work on more multi-chapter yaoi fanfiction in the future. Maybe you guys can suggest some good pairings? I'll now focus more on _Bad Bromance_. But there's never enough yaoi on this site so just voice your opinions! And review :3 Guess this is practically the end of this tale xd Enjoy~**

* * *

The redhead propped his chin in his palms, staring calmly at the boy across the table. Shifty golloped his cheese burger and chips as if there was no tomorrow. The other male though had left his tray of food unfinished, the simply reason being he had had so much entertainment just by watching his boyfriend eat. Sensing the redhead's queer glance, Shifty perked up and tilted his head curiously, wondering if there was something on his face that incited the hero to look at him with such a goofy, enigmatic grin.

"Um...is there something on my mouth?" The greenette asked.

"No." Splendont answered, half-chuckling.

"Oh." Shifty blinked in awe and eyed the untouched meat pie on the redhead's plate. He quaffed his drink and drooled, craving greedily for the extra food. The other boy seemed to pierce his thoughts all too well. He smirked and automatically shoved the plate closer to the greenette, offering him what he had been yearning for. Shifty nibbled his lips hungrily and shot the hero a grateful, delighted look.

"Why? You've hardly eaten anything." Shifty pointed out nervously, somewhat concerned by the redhead's lack of appetite, thinking he might be ill or something.

The redhead, as healthy and strong as he was, simply cackled and shook his head. "I'm not hungry, Shift. You can have the pie and if it's still not enough, I can get you some more."

"But...well...okay, hehehee." The greenette snickered and snatched the pie, gorging himself on the delicious food in no time. Splendont simply lay back and smiled, truthfully glad that his lover was enjoying his time in the carnival. He forgot whose initial idea it was but the couple seemed rather comfortable with their date in some fun fair, though occasionally people would cock their brows at them and grimaced as the two boys were apparently way too old for most of the games. But again, it didn't really matter to the redhead how people judged them. As long as they stayed together, he was more than blessed. To show his subtle affections, he had been getting the greenette everything he wanted, not that he really asked for much. After all, he had already possessed the most precious thing on earth, a superhero's heart.

"Hey, Splendont." Shifty giggled and stood up from the bench. The kiss came unpredicted, completely startling the other male. The redhead widened his eyes and gazed right into those charming green orbs, feeling his cheeks turn fiery as Shifty clung much closer to him and pecked at his lips. His super instincts convinced him that everyone else around them was witnessing the entire scene jaw-dropped. Still, the two boys indulged in their own abrupt fetish.

"But...why?" When they finally withdrew themselves from each other, the redhead blushed and gasped. "I thought you didn't want anyone to know about, you know, about our relationship..."

Shifty grinned, rather amazed by the redhead's embarrassment. He was, by all means, trying to keep their relationship a secret because he knew his place too clearly. He was just a notorious thief loathed by many. The redhead, conversely, was a hero adored by millions of followers. There was no way their lives was supposed to get intertwined. He would only become a burden for him or so he reckoned. Lately though, the greenette noticed his boyfriend's soaring urge to disclose their relationship. To grant his very wish, he took the initiative and made their presence known in the public. It's not that he had done a pretty job concealing their awkward interactions. Everyone was aware of their brothers' relationship and certain of the fishy events going on between these two as well.

"Not exactly." The greenette replied, fidgeting with his hands. "I just didn't want to disappoint your fangirls, haha."

"Oh come on, you know they're nothing but headache, right?"

"Yea, maybe." Shifty smiled sheepishly. "So, are you happy now? I've just done you a favor to keep those bugs away from you. And since you've always wanted people to acknowledge us, I thought I might as well tag along with your idea."

"Seriously, you don't have to do that for me." Splendont mumbled, lowering his head in shame. "I wouldn't like you doing something you dislike."

"I'm actually okay with it. We're not school boys anymore so what's the point of always acting so stealthy?"

"I guess...you're right." The redhead grinned brightly, slipping out of his seat and settled down beside his mate.

"So...any plans for tonight?" Shifty asked, nudging the redhead eagerly.

"What do you want to do?" Splendont asked back, draping his arm around his partner's shoulder.

"Anything's fine as long as it's fun." The greenette laughed, not realizing that Splendont was actually scheming something marvelous for both of them.

"How about this, we'll get a drink after dinner and I'll show you some real surprise."

"Oh?" Shifty sneered, narrowing his eyes with an artful grin. "I can't wait."

* * *

Some time later, on a particularly bright, sunny day, a blue hero swooped down with his lover on his back. As they landed safely on the porch, Splendid turned the knob of the front door and immediately dropped everything in his hands. He stared in shock at the repulsive mess.

"NO!" He screamed in frustration, his shrill noise echoing all the way through the house. As he stepped into his threshold, he went berserk just by seeing his favourite self-portrait being knocked down on the floor. The conceited, narcissistic bluenette dashed to pick up his property, mourning pitifully over his loss. "Oh my, my...picture!"

"What's wrong?" Lifty asked, following closely behind his boyfriend and was, too, was stunned by the scene he witnessed. Almost instantly, he spotted his favourite toy being hung somewhere on the wall. It was a glittering crown he had once stolen from a state museum, the best loot he had managed to get so far. "Oh, my crown! It's...It's hanging in ruins!" Agitated, the thief scuttled towards his broken possession, lamenting for his forfeiture.

"Right." The bluenette finally finished whimpering and growled in sheer anger, already planning on a devilish revenge. He trod upstairs in exasperation. Lifty scrambled after his boyfriend, expecting to come to a face-to-face confrontation with their burglars. If there was one thing that absolutely disturbed the greenette, it was the fact that someone ransacked houses more skillfully than he did. He was, after all, once a thief of immense pride, though he could barely succeed in his heist.

The bluenette busted open his bedroom's door and gasped, clearly confounded by the next surprise in store for him.

"I KNEW IT!" He shrieked at the top of his lungs, his deafening raspy voice almost tearing the house down.

The two intruders sat up groggily in bed and waved at him with an irritating smile. Their faces were ever so familiar, probably something both Splendid and Lifty would never mistake for anything in their whole life. To their very dismay, they belonged to their own twins.

"Oh hi, Splendid. What're you doing here?" Splendont asked, pulling the blanket closer to hide his nude body. The redhead was still feeling giddy after a long, sweet night but obviously, his brother was in no mood to let him rest in his room. He tapped the boy lying next to him, giving him a signal to begin their foul prank.

"WHAT AM I DOING HERE?!" Splendid roared, completely losing his temper as if nothing on the entire planet could infuriate him more than this redhead who shared an identical face with him. "This is my house! Good heavens, my house!"

"Oh, is it?" Splendont widened his eyes, feigning a smile so innocent and ignorant. "Oops, sorry, you see, we went to the carnival and got ourselves pretty drunk last night. We really didn't know where we were going."

"He didn't know where he was flying to." Shifty added, going along with Splendont's trick. He yawned and stretched his bare limbs casually as though the two persons standing at the door were invisible.

The scene somehow reminded the blue hero how he had once got drunk with his own lover. And that was practically how their romance first got sparked off.

"And you…you broke my mighty self-portrait and ate my cake!" Splendid cried, not caring how hilarious he looked with those tears smearing his face. "You ate my super splendid special supreme spongy cake!"

"Did we?" Splendont exchanged a glance with Shifty, effortlessly pretending they were oblivious to the bluenette's grave loss.

"I had no idea." The greenette, still half-asleep, rubbed his eyes slightly and shrugged.

The other two boys were rendered speechless as they watched their naked twins sleazily leap out of bed and dress themselves. Even an idiot could picture what had happened the previous night.

"You…You…" Splendid stuttered, close to exploding in rage. "You aren't a bit ashamed at all! You two made out on my bed?! YOU TWO FUCKED ON MY BED!"

"Calm down." The redhead rolled his eyes and scoffed. "It's not like your bed is really comfy enough."

"OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD." Splendid bawled, shaking his head frantically. "I can't believe it. I changed the sheets last week. ONLY LAST WEEK!"

"Does that mean you two made out last week?" Shifty asked accurately, making the couple more appalled than ever.

"I told you I thought this was my house." Splendont said, zipping his pants and buckling his belt. "You do know our houses have the same exterior, right?"

"Damn you! They are of different colours! YOURS IS RED! MINE IS BLUE! How could you have mistaken that? You have super night vision!" The bluenette retorted, dismissing every excuse his mischievous twin made.

"I told you we were drunk." Shifty butted in, continuing with the game. "And you guys weren't even home last night. Did you stay overnight at your office?"

Splendid and Lifty blushed again, both with their mouths cracked open. An intense moment of silence reigned the room as the poor couple strove to search for the right vocabulary to castigate their wicked twins.

"You, ungrateful brat! I saved you from your damn stupid suicide and this is how you repaid me?!" Splendid, howled, rolling up his sleeves and pointing furiously at his twin. "You just turned my house upside down! And you ate my cake!"

"Why's he so protective of that cake?" Shifty whispered to Lifty. The younger brother furrowed his brows and glared at the half-dressed male, sighing.

"Because he spent a week on the recipe." Lifty replied, helping his brother straighten his wrinkled tie. "He's always quite sensitive when it comes to handling his desserts."

"Oh, I think I had a bite." Shifty confessed, trying to recall some details of the previous night's events. He remembered leaving the carnival with the redhead, heading for a drink in a local pub before they decided to achieve the greatest misdeed by paying their brothers a brisk visit. "But Splendont ate the rest of it. I don't like blueberry anyway."

"WHAT?!" Splendid's ears perked up. He turned around and glowered at the greenette. "Blueberry is one of the best things on earth! How dare you hate it!"

"I didn't say I hate it. I just don't like it. It's pretty much how I feel about you, actually." Shifty sniggered, his bold speech further driving the bluenette insane.

Splendont burst into laughter and corroborated his partner. "Well said."

"You two!" Splendid panted. He was so angry that his face was burning red. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white but his attempt to threaten the two wicked boys remained futile. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! RIGHT NOW! Go back to your own dumb nest! Don't ever break into my house again or I'm going to kill you both!"

"Okay, okay." Splendont twittered, locking hands with Shifty.

"Oh by the way, we inadvertently broke your oven last night." The redhead winked triumphantly at his twin, leaving the bluenette thunderstruck. "Sorry about that. But you probably can't bake anything for a while."

"WHAT?" Splendid screeched again. He was about to batter the redhead when Lifty held him back from his impulsive act.

"Bye, brother." Splendont blew his twin a kiss. He scooped Shifty up and flew out of the window.

"That…That…That idiot…" Splendid wailed in distress and fell to the ground on his knees. "He's always picking on me! Then and now! It's always the same! And your brother! Urgh…they're partners in crime!"

Lifty sighed and went to hug the bluenette, having long gotten accustomed to Splendid's moping whenever he got bullied by Splendont. The emotional bluenette would always brood over the injustice and throw a tantrum just to gain condolence from his lover.

"It can't be that bad. They seem to be getting along well." Lifty said, trying to sound optimistic as in contrast to his usual sentimental self.

Three months had passed since Splendont and Shifty were reconciled. Things were going pretty well on their side but clearly not on this side. They never stopped bothering Splendid and Lifty. Lifty had no problem with it, mostly because he understood Shifty's nature too well. Breaking into their brothers' house was simply their own eccentric way of saying their greetings. The bluenette though was unconvinced. He leaned closer to his partner and wheezed.

"How can they not get along?" The blue hero was nearly out of breath due to all the shouting he had made. "They share the same evil traits! Did you see that look on their face? They don't even feel ashamed making out in someone else's house! Oh gosh, why is it always me suffering from the aftermath?! And he ate my cake! Oh my poor, poor cake! I baked it for you, Lester!"

"I know." Lifty cooed, planting a soft kiss on Splendid's head. "Thanks for that, Spencer. You can always bake another one when we get a new oven, right? Next time, I'll eat it way before your dumbass brother gets his hands on it."

"Yes…but…" The bluenette trailed off. He still couldn't get over the fact that he had always been made a clown since childhood. His own twin had never stopped ridiculing him and now that he and Shifty were back together again, things simply aggravated. The two were always up to no good but trouble.

"Well, at least, I'm on your side." Lifty laughed, indisputably enjoying it when he was the only one who could comfort Splendid. The bluenette would always run to him crying like a baby whenever he felt sad.

Splendid took a deep breath and calmed down a little. He scanned over the mess again and sighed.

"Wanna clean up?" Lifty suggested.

"Nah…can I take a nap first? I feel tired." Splendid pouted, resting his head on Lifty's lap.

"Why, you spoiled little thing." The greenette grunted, running his hands through his mate's sapphire locks.

"Whatever. You're the one spoiling me, remember?" Splendid giggled, snuggling up against the greenette.

"Yea, right. I think I'll take a nap with you." Lifty smiled and joined his boyfriend. The two huddled together in a house of mess.

Outside the blue-painted, acorn-shaped house, Splendont landed on a gigantic tree branch with Shifty, their faces revealing much contentment as the two boys were still impressed by their own trick.

"Oh boy, did you see that face?" Splendont laughed, carefully putting down his mate. "He was so pissed!"

Shifty hopped off from Splendont's arms and cracked up. "Don't tell me you knew it was his house all along."

"Actually, I did." Splendont admitted. "I knew he was going to have a night out with Lifty. That's why I wanted to ruin his place. So, was the surprise good enough for you?"

"Can't be better." Shifty said. "Damn, you're so wicked."

"Yea? Isn't it fun?"

"Much better than stealing steak and roll springs." The thief simpered.

"We should do this some other time."

"Probably."

"And last night was fun too, wasn't it?" The redhead purred flirtatiously, wrapping his arms around his partner's waist.

"Much better than bungee jump and sky diving combined." Shifty grinned.

"Really?"

"Yea. And you know what?" Shifty muttered, holding the redhead close to him. "No one has ever made me that hard before."

"Phew…you...pervert." The red hero pulled away from the thief and snorted. "Then, don't ever go out with someone other than me or even let them touch you."

"Yes, yes. You're my one and only." Shifty chortled. "Happy now?"

"Woah, where did you learn that? You're so damn sweet, Shift."

"Yea, wanna taste me?"

"My pleasure."

With that, the redhead leaned in and kissed his mate once more.


End file.
